Examination of Moisture Distribution with 2008 and 2009 Tropical Cyclones Using COSMIC Data

Hill, C. M., Fitzpatrick, P. J., & Lau, Y. H. (2010). Examination of Moisture Distribution with 2008 and 2009 Tropical Cyclones Using COSMIC Data. 14th Symposium on Integrated Observing and Assimilation Systems for the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Land Surface. Atlanta, GA: The 90th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting.

Measurements of GPS signal refractivity observed by Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) satellites are used to examine the distribution of moisture in the vicinity of recent tropical cyclones. Saharan Air Layer (SAL) detection by the COSMIC dataset is validated in horizontal space against the split-band (12.0μm minus 10.8μm) product of METEOSAT-9, and in vertical space with the aerosol profiles from the NASA CALIPSO satellite. Results for Atlantic tropical cyclones of 2008 and 2009 are to be presented. As GPS radio signals can pass through thick cloud cover and precipitation, the COSMIC data can detect mesoscale features of a tropical cyclone in both vertical and horizontal space, due to the slanted nature of a COSMIC profile. Evidence of COSMIC detection of the mesoscale structure within tropical cyclones of 2008 and 2009 will be presented.