Evaluation of HWRF Synthetic Satellite Brightness Temperatures

Abstract:

The regions within and surrounding tropical cyclones (TCs) tend to be devoid of in situ measurements, making satellite observations particularly useful within these data sparse regions. Forecasters and researchers have used these observations for decades to evaluate and understand the structural evolution of TCs. Synthetic satellite brightness temperatures are produced by the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecast (HWRF) model using the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) and provided for four different channels corresponding to channels available from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). This presentation will focus on the comparison between the HWRF synthetic satellite brightness temperatures and the observed GOES-13 10.7μm (infrared) and 6.48μm (water vapor) bands, highlighting the differences between the large-scale and storm-scale environments, and evaluating the structure of TCs as represented by the simulated satellite imagery.

Disclaimer:

The views, opinions, and findings contained in this article are those of the authors and should not be construed as an official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or U.S. Government position, policy, or decision.