SEMINAR: NHC Seminar - Aug 25 - Liz Ritchie

[Chris.Landsea@noaa.gov]

Hi folks,

There will be a seminar here at NHC tomorrow (Wednesday):

CHARACTERIZING TROPICAL CYCLONE STRUCTURE FROM IR SATELLITE IMAGERY.
PART I: ESTIMATING TROPICAL CYCLONE INTENSITY
PART II: DETECTING TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION
(abstract below)

Elizabeth A. Ritchie, J. S. Tyo, M. F. Pineros, and C. Colleau
University of Arizona

2:30-3:30pm (Bagels/Cream Cheese and Coffee - 2:15pm)
Wednesday, Aug. 25th
NHC Seminar Room

All are welcome to attend.

best regards,
chris
**********************************************************************
Chris Landsea
Science and Operations Officer
NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center
11691 S.W. 17th Street
Miami, Florida 33165-2149
Chris.Landsea@noaa.gov P:305-229-4446 F:305-553-1901
**********************************************************************
"A hundred-knot hurricane's about the prettiest there is.  You get
 stronger than that, the water's all white.  You get below eighty
 knots, the streaks and ripples and blowing spray are less spectacular.
 But at a hundred knots, the sea has this kind of turquoise color and
 it's layered.  There's a filigree of foam on the surface, long streaks
 of glowing foam with long streaks of greenish bubbles beneath that,
 and between the disturbances there's a deep navy blue.  Anybody that's
 seen it wants to see it again."
 ----- Hugh Willoughby in _Inside the Hurricane_ by Pete Davies



CHARACTERIZING TROPICAL CYCLONE STRUCTURE FROM IR SATELLITE IMAGERY.
PART I: ESTIMATING TROPICAL CYCLONE INTENSITY
PART II: DETECTING TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION

E. A. Ritchie, J. S. Tyo, M. F. Pineros, and C. Colleau

Abstract
An objective technique is described for obtaining features associated 
with the shape and the dynamics of cloud structures embedded in 
tropical cyclones from satellite infrared images.  As the tropical 
cyclone develops from an unstructured cloud cluster and intensifies, 
the cloud structures become more axisymmetric about an identified 
reference point. Using variables derived from remotely-sensed data, 
the technique calculates the gradient of the brightness temperatures 
to measure the level of symmetry of each structure.  The level of 
symmetry characterizes the degree of cloud organization of the 
tropical cyclone.  

In part I of this presentation we will present the details of the 
technique and show how it provides an objective measure of both the 
structure and the intensity of the tropical cyclone.  The method is 
particularly robust for intensities greater than or equal to 34 kt, 
but has been extended to early stages of tropical cyclone development.

In part II, we will present the methodology that allows us to 
differentiate between developing and non-developing cloud clusters 
before they reach TD designation.  Both IR and WV imagery have been 
used to determine the best differentiator.  Both methods have 
complimentary strengths and weaknesses and we are currently 
determining ways to combine the best parts of both.  The methodology 
and some results will be presented.


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