# Presentation: 369407

## 60th INTERDEPARTMENTAL

**HURRICANE CONFERENCE**

***Tropical Cyclone Reconnaissance and Observations Systems Wrap-up***

**Mr. Mark Welshinger**
**OFCM**

**Notes:**
Script:  This slide should be up when the Federal Coordinator walks to the podium.
Notes:  
Welcome to the OFCM sponsored 58th annual Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference
Our theme this year as you can see on the slide is “Hugo to Isabel:  15 Years of Progress Plus Momentum for the Future”
Hugo reminds us of the devastation a hurricane can cause as happened here in Charleston SC in 1989, while Isabel helps us realize we are making progress towards more accurate prediction of tropical storms and hurricanes
We do have positive momentum...we trust this conference will keep it going and even help accelerate the pace of progress
In the spirit of stepping up the pace, let’s start right now by introducing our special guest and keynote speaker, Under Secretary Michael Brown

NEXT SLIDE

## Action item from 59th IHC: 
Develop interagency strategy for future airborne / spaced-based tropical cyclone recon / observation
Addresses full range of observing technologies (e.g., manned, unmanned, space-based, SFMR upgrades, next generation dropwindsondes, etc.)
Expected outcome from the 60th IHC:
A list of current and promising tropical cyclone observation capabilities
Serve as initial framework for development of future tropical cyclone airborne / space-based  tropical cyclone observation needs and requirements

**Action item from 59th IHC: **
**Develop interagency strategy for future airborne / spaced-based tropical cyclone recon / observation**
**Addresses full range of observing technologies (e.g., manned, unmanned, space-based, SFMR upgrades, next generation dropwindsondes, etc.)**
**Expected outcome from the 60th IHC:**
**A list of current and promising tropical cyclone observation capabilities**
**Serve as initial framework for development of future tropical cyclone airborne / space-based  tropical cyclone observation needs and requirements**

**Why Wrap-up?**

## Used information from:
Session 2: Observing the Tropical Cyclone and its Environment from Genesis to Post Storm: Current Capabilities to Future Requirements
Poster session
Other sessions
Session 3: Tropical Cyclone Modeling and Prediction
Session 4: JHT—Transitioning Research to Operations

**Used information from:**
**Session 2: *****Observing the Tropical Cyclone and its Environment from Genesis to Post Storm: Current Capabilities to Future Requirements***
**Poster session**
**Other sessions**
**Session 3: *****Tropical Cyclone Modeling and Prediction***
**Session 4: *****JHT—Transitioning Research to Operations***

**Strategy**

## New airborne technology trifecta
Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR)
C-band, nadir viewing radiometer 
Airborne tail doppler radar
GPS dropsonde
Instrument trifecta is essential for real-time interpretation of rapidly changing events, especially near landfall
Airborne ocean profilers (AXBT, AXCTD): ocean heat content
Operational Scanning Radar Altimeter (SRA)
Airborne measurement of directional wave spectra
NASA system flown last mission; potential replacement funded by NOAA Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract
Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP)
Dual band (C and Ku), dual-polarized pencil-beam airborne radar
Obtain ocean surface wind field and vertical profiles of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) winds

**New airborne technology **_**trifecta**_
**Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR)**
**C-band, nadir viewing radiometer**** **
**Airborne tail doppler radar**
**GPS dropsonde**
**Instrument **_**trifecta**_** is essential for real-time interpretation of rapidly changing events, especially near landfall**
**Airborne ocean profilers (AXBT, AXCTD): ocean heat content**
**Operational Scanning Radar Altimeter (SRA)**
**Airborne measurement of directional wave spectra**
**NASA system flown last mission; potential replacement funded by NOAA Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract**
**Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP)**
**Dual band (C and Ku), dual-polarized pencil-beam airborne radar**
**Obtain ocean surface wind field and vertical profiles of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) winds**

**Aircraft**

## Future
NOAA SRA
SFMRs on AF WC-130s
Nov 06: Testing complete
’07 season: ~ 4 SFMR systems
’08 season: all WC-130s
Advanced Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (AWRAP)
High resolution measurements of ABL winds, precipitation, and ocean surface winds
Much improved sensitivity; advanced algorithms applied to IWRAP raw data
Improved ABL obs (w/i 50 m of sfc) compared to IWRAP

**Future**
**NOAA SRA**
**SFMRs on AF WC-130s**
**Nov 06: Testing complete**
**’****07 season: ~ 4 SFMR systems**
**’****08 season: all WC-130s**
**Advanced Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler**** (AWRAP)**
**High resolution measurements of ABL winds, precipitation, and ocean surface winds**
**Much improved sensitivity; advanced algorithms applied to IWRAP raw data**
**Improved ABL obs (w/i 50 m of sfc) compared to IWRAP**

**Aircraft**

## Future
Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRad)
Follow-on to SFMRs
Compatible with airborne platforms, including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and payload for space-based platforms
Global Environmental Micro Sensors (GEMS) (??)
Lagrangian drifters
Operational Issues
Deployment scenarios (cost, practicality, etc.)
Aviation hazards
Robustness to harsh conditions in tropical cyclones (e.g. rain out)

**Future**
**Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRad)**
**Follow-on to SFMRs**
**Compatible with airborne platforms, including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and payload for space-based platforms**
**Global Environmental Micro Sensors (GEMS) ****(??)**
**Lagrangian drifters**
**Operational Issues**
**Deployment scenarios (cost, practicality, etc.)**
**Aviation hazards**
**Robustness to harsh conditions in tropical cyclones (e.g. rain out)**

**Aircraft**

## NOAA P-3s, NCAR ELDORA, NRL P-3
Vital instrumentation: key to advancing hurricane science
NASA ER-2

Hurricane Dennis, Tropical Storms Eugene & Gert, Hurricane Emily (night overflight!) 

**NOAA P-3s, NCAR ELDORA, NRL P-3**
**Vital instrumentation: key to advancing hurricane science**
**NASA ER-2**
**Hurricane Dennis, Tropical Storms Eugene & Gert, Hurricane Emily (night overflight!) **

**Aircraft - Hurricane Research**

## Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
Ms. Sara Summers (NOAA/ESRL)

**Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)**
**Ms. Sara Summers (NOAA/ESRL)**

**UAS - Hurricane Research**

## UAS - Hurricane Research

** ****It could use remote sensors (radar and Stepped Frequency ****	****Microwave) to continuously monitor hurricane ****surface winds**
** ****It could drop sondes to continuously monitor ****storm central ****	****pressure,**** and oceanic sondes to determine sea temperatures**
** ****It could carry repeaters so that it could ****maintain cell phone**** ****	****communications**** in the affected areas as the storm makes ****	****landfall**

**UAS - Hurricane Research**

**Potential Use of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAS**

## UAS - Hurricane Research

**  ****planes**
** ****Location of environment where the ocean's warm water energy **
**  ****is directly transferred to the atmosphere just above it**
** ****Low-level in situ measurements will potentially enhance existing**
**  ****observational capabilities within the tropical cyclone environment**

**UAS - Hurricane Research**

**Potential Use of Low Level UAS**

## UAS - Hurricane Workshop

**Key participants:****  **
**NOAA: Ed Rappaport and Naomi Surgi**
**NASA: Ramesh Kakar and Robbie Hood**
**Air Force: Col Mark Weadon**
**Question: How can we collaborate on hurricane monitoring + research ?**
**Our Agencies have different mission objectives, but our end goals are the same**
**First step in our pathway forward: National mission / experiment involving UAS**
**Develop a plan for Near Term**
**#1 NOAA Priority identified by modeling and forecasting community: very low altitude operations & research, i.e. <300M**
**Conduct a low level UAS Hurricane demonstration in 2006 (Joe Cione)**

**UAS - Hurricane Workshop**

** ****Will UAS platforms / instruments provide data that will **
**  ****IMPROVE THE FORECAST ?  **
** ****Will the data improve the models and provide a better**
**  ****analysis for forecasters, particularly in the short-term ?**
** ****What will the data provide above what we are already **
**  ****getting from satellites and manned planes ?**
** ****Where are the current data gaps, and what combination**
**  ****of UAS(s) and sensors would serve to fill those gaps ?**
** ****Could the UAS test platform(s) be used to develop and**
**  ****test new instruments ?**

**UAS - Hurricane Workshop**

**Key Questions**

## Continuing to exploit current satellite data
Positive impact of satellite data for SHIPS
Data assimilation into NWP
Identification of signals of secondary eyewall formation
Precursor of eyewall replacement cycles
WindSat
Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT)
Satellite-based Tropical Cyclone Current Intensity Consensus (SATCON)
Future
Prepare to exploit data from future satellites: COSMIC, GPM, NPOESS, GOES-R+

**Continuing to exploit current satellite data**
**Positive impact of satellite data for SHIPS**
**Data assimilation into NWP**
**Identification of signals of secondary eyewall formation**
**Precursor of eyewall replacement cycles**
**WindSat**
**Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT)**
**Satellite-based Tropical Cyclone Current Intensity Consensus (SATCON)**
**Future**
**Prepare to exploit data from future satellites: COSMIC, GPM, NPOESS, GOES-R+**

## Have developed framework of future tropical cyclone airborne / space-based  tropical cyclone observation needs and requirements
As required, form Joint Action Group to review / refine
Develop interagency plan for future airborne / spaced-based tropical cyclone recon / observation

**Have developed framework ****of future tropical cyclone airborne / space-based  tropical cyclone observation needs and requirements**
**As required, form Joint Action Group to review / refine**
**Develop interagency plan for future airborne / spaced-based tropical cyclone recon / observation**