Assessing Hurricane Intensity Using Satellites - Satellite-based Applications on Climate Change - page 146

Chapter 10
Assessing Hurricane Intensity Using Satellites

Mark DeMaria, John A. Knaff, and Raymond Zehr

Abstract Tropical cyclones spend most of their life cycle over the tropical and
subtropical oceans. Because of the lack of in situ data in these regions, satellite
observations are fundamental for tracking and estimating the intensity of these storms
for real-time forecasting and monitoring climate trends. This chapter reviews
methods for estimating tropical cyclone intensity from satellites, including those
based on visible, infrared, and microwave instruments. Satellite intensity estimates
are transitioning from subjective to objective methods, and new instruments on the
next generation of NOAA low-earth orbiting and geostationary satellites hold prom-
ise for continued improvement in satellite analysis of tropical cyclones.

10.1 Introduction

The large loss of life and unprecedented damage caused by US landfalling
hurricanes in the 2000s (Lili 2002; Isabel 2003, Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne
2004; Dennis, Katrina, Wilma 2005; Ike 2008) raises the question of whether the
Atlantic hurricane climate is changing. This question has considerable societal and
economic implications for residents along the US gulf and east coasts and in other
coastal regions around the globe. Emanuel ( 2007 ) showed a high correlation
between decadal increases in Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SST) and an
integrated measure of Atlantic basin tropical cyclone activity called the power
dissipation index (PDI). This correlation suggests that the recent changes in hurri-
cane activity may have a connection with global warming.