The UMass Simultaneous Frequency Microwave Radiometer (USFMR): Improvements for Retrieval of Winds and Precipitation in Non-tropical Cyclone Environments

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Hurricanes and other oceanic storms have extreme winds that are difficult to measure. This research project will enhance the ability of an airborne remote sensing instrument to make high-resolution surface wind measurements in hurricanes and to increase the accuracy of measurements in other large extratropical storms. Ocean wind measurements are important for coastal communities, maritime commerce, and national defense. The project will also provide multi-disciplinary training to a graduate student.This project plans to improve the retrieval of extreme winds and precipitation via microwave radiometry at C-band. The Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) measures upwelling C-band emission from the wind-driven sea surface and from rainfall. Using brightness temperature measurements over a range of discrete C-band frequencies, the SFMR retrieval algorithm solves for both wind-speed and rain-rate. However, the currently deployed SFMR suffers from inadequate resolution and a tuning of the retrieval algorithms to hurricane environments. This project will assess the performance of the University of Massachusetts Simultaneous Frequency Microwave Radiometer (USFMR) which is a version of the SFMR that is able to make measurements in parallel over the frequency range, enabling more rapid updates. The USFMR would be flown on a NOAA aircraft in high-latitude extratropical storms through a collaboration with the NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research. Adjustments to the retrieval algorithms for high-latitude locations would also be a significant part of this project.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.