Hurricane Sandy warm‐core structure observed from advanced Technology Microwave Sounder

Abstract

The warm‐core structures of Hurricane Sandy and other nine tropical cyclones (TCs) are studied using the temperatures retrieved from Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). A new algorithm is developed for the retrieval of atmospheric temperature profiles from the ATMS radiances. Since ATMS observation has a higher spatial resolution and better coverage than its predecessor, Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit‐A, the retrieved temperature field explicitly resolves TC warm core throughout troposphere and depicts the cold temperature anomalies in the eyewall and spiral rainbands. Unlike a typical TC, the height of maximum warm core of Hurricane Sandy is very low, but the storm size is quite large. Based on the analysis of 10 TCs in 2012, close correlations are found between ATMS‐derived warm core and the TC maximum sustained wind (MSW) or minimum sea level pressure (MSLP). The estimation errors of MSW and MSLP from ATMS‐retrieved warm core are 13.5 mph and 13.1 hPa, respectively.