GRIP HIRAD Hurricane Observations of Wind Speed and Rain Rate

Brightness temperature measurements from the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) instrument, a passive C-band microwave radiometer flown on NASA aircraft. The dataset captures observations of Hurricanes Earl and Karl during the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment in September 2010. Its primary goal was to measure ocean surface winds through heavy rain to study tropical storm formation and intensification.

Use Cases

• Retrieving ocean surface wind speeds in high-wind, rainy conditions using C-band brightness temperature measurements.
• Estimating rain rates within hurricane systems from passive microwave radiometry data.
• Analyzing the spatial structure of hurricanes through cross-track and along-track brightness temperature observations.
• Studying the genesis and rapid intensification phases of tropical cyclones using data from a focused field campaign.
• Calibrating and validating wind and rain retrieval models for airborne and future space-based microwave radiometers.

Strengths

• Data is focused on two specific hurricanes (Earl and Karl) from a coordinated NASA field campaign (GRIP).
• Instrument provides cross-track and along-track resolution with a wide 60-degree swath for spatial coverage.
• Includes derived geophysical products like rain rate and wind speed files for Hurricane Earl.
• Measurements are taken at a 5 GHz C-band frequency, which is sensitive to surface winds and rain.

Limitations

• Exact row count, file size, and complete column schema are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one lists 2026-03 13 (future date, likely an error), while another lists 2010-09-16.
• Data coverage is limited to a specific 16-day period in September 2010.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the HIRAD instrument on NASA's DC-8, WB-57, and Global Hawk aircraft during the GRIP field experiment.

Time Range

September 1, 2010 through September 16, 2010

Freshness

2010-09-16 21:39:55

Geography

Flight paths over the Atlantic Ocean covering Hurricanes Earl and Karl.