Satellite analysis of tropical cyclones using the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU)

The first Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) was launched aboard the N OAA-15 satellite on 13 May 1998. The AMSU is well suited for the observatio n of tropical cyclones because its measurements are not significantly affec ted by the ice clouds that cover tropical storms. In this paper, the follow ing are presented: 1) upper-tropospheric thermal anomalies in tropical cycl ones retrieved from AMSU data, 2) the correlation of maximum temperature an omalies with maximum wind speed and central pressure, 3) winds calculated f rom the temperature anomaly field, 4) comparison of AMSU data with GOES and AVHRR imagery, and 5) tropical cyclone rainfall potential. The AMSU data a ppear to offer substantial opportunities for improvement in tropical cyclon e analysis and forecasting.