The Relationship of Tropical Cyclone Convective Intensity to Passive Microwave Observations

During the 1998 and 2001 hurricane seasons, the Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) was flown aboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ER-2 high altitude aircraft as part of the Third Convection And Moisture EXperiment (CAMEX-3) and the Fourth Convection And Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-4). Several hurricanes and tropical storms were sampled during these experiments. The passive microwave observations of these tropical cyclones collected at frequencies of 10.7, 19.35, 37.1, and 85.5 GHz will be presented to explain differences in precipitation features of the hurricanes. In particular, the relationship of the passive microwave signatures of precipitation-sized ice to vertical updraft strength will be examined as a possible indicator of future convective intensity. Correlated aircraft radar, lightning, visible and infrared information will also be examined to provide further insight.