RAPID: Deployment of the UMass Simultaneous Frequency Microwave Radiometer (USFMR) for the 2019 Hurricane Season

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Obtaining measurements of surface wind speed during hurricanes is extremely difficult. At the present, there are two main techniques that are used to conduct these measurements in open waters. One is the dropsonde, which is an instrument package that is dropped by an aircraft and takes measurements on the way down. The main drawback of a dropsonde is the expense of making limited, point measurements. The other technique is a remote sensing instrument called a microwave radiometer. This project will test a new version of a microwave radiometer that has the potential to provide more precise and accurate measurements of wind speed. Improvements in these measurements would provide researchers more information to test their theories and models against, thereby increasing the accuracy of hurricane forecasts. In addition, the project will provide training opportunities for the next generation of scientists.This funding will be used to deploy the UMass Simultaneous Frequency Microwave Radiometer (USFMR) on the NOAA P-3 research aircraft for the 2019 hurricane season. The USFMR has potential advantages over the current Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer systems in that it adds dual-polarization and measures all frequencies in parallel, resulting in a 4 to 5-fold decrease in the measurement time. The main work tasks are the testing and calibration of the USFMR in the laboratory, shipment and installation on the NOAA P-3, operation of the instrument on the calibration flights and during the hurricane missions, and then processing the measurements for brightness temperatures, 10m winds, and column-integrated rain rates. The observations will be compared to those produced by the operational SFMR and dropsondes, with a focus on observations at the eyewall and in narrow rain bands.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.