Mikeserv Support Forum

On television broadcasts and forecast maps, hurricanes appear as two-dimensional swirling vortices, belying their extremely complex three-dimensional structure. Being able to peer past the tops of clouds to see what’s happening inside a storm is critical for forecasting—particularly for catching one that is about to rapidly intensify into something more dangerous. But a key source of data that provide an x-ray-like view of that structure will shut down by June 30, just before hurricane season tends to kick into high gear.

“It’s certainly one of the more important data sources that we have because it provides a unique dataset,” says James Franklin, former chief of the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC’s) Hurricane Specialist Unit. “It’s the only way really to see through clouds and get a sense of the organizational structure of the core of a developing cyclone.” Having that information can alert forecasters to rapid intensification or other major changes hours before they become apparent in other data—providing crucial time to warn people in harm’s way.

This view into storm structure comes from sensors onboard Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites. Those data will no longer be taken up, processed and sent out to the National Hurricane Center or other non-Department of Defense users. The exact reasons for the shutoff are unclear but appear to be related to security concerns.

“The timing [of the shutdown] could not be worse as far as hurricane season is concerned,” and it comes along with other recent cuts and limitations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says Kim Wood, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Arizona.
What do microwave data tell us about hurricanes?

Satellites orbiting the Earth gather data in multiple wavelengths of light: visible, infrared, microwave, and so on. Each provides different kinds of information. Most people typically see images of hurricanes in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but the storms also emit microwaves. “Everything is emitting microwaves,” Wood says. “We’re currently emitting microwaves sitting here. And it’s because our temperatures are above absolute zero.”