TROPICS05: Tropical Cyclone Intensity Estimates from CubeSat Constellation

TROPICS05 L2B Tropical Cyclone Intensity Estimate (TCIE) Algorithm V1.0 provides validated estimates of tropical cyclone intensity derived from microwave brightness temperatures. The dataset, produced by the University of Wisconsin/CIMSS, uses a constellation of five CubeSats to calculate Minimum Sea Level Pressure (MSLP) and Maximum Sustained Winds (MSW). Data coverage begins in August 2021 for the Pathfinder satellite and June 2023 for the full constellation.

Use Cases

• Estimating tropical cyclone intensity (MSLP and MSW) based on microwave brightness temperature perturbations from specific spectrometer channels.
• Analyzing storm structure and evolution using high-temporal-resolution observations from a five-satellite constellation.
• Validating and improving numerical weather prediction models with all-weather temperature and humidity profile data.
• Studying cloud ice and precipitation horizontal structure in tropical systems using channels sensitive to 90 GHz and 205 GHz.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a validated algorithm (TCIE) developed at the University of Wisconsin/CIMSS.
• Provides high-temporal-resolution observations from a dedicated constellation of five identical CubeSats.
• Covers a specific time range starting in August 2021 for the Pathfinder and June 2023 for the full constellation.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size (rows, file size) are not specified in any source, limiting technical assessment.
• License information is conflicting: one source lists 'other-license-specified', while others list 'None'.
• Last update metadata is inconsistent, with dates ranging from 'None' to April 2026, which may indicate stale or unmaintained records.

Provenance

Source

University of Wisconsin/CIMSS, distributed via NASA GES_DISC.

Collection Method

Algorithm (TCIE) applied to passive microwave spectrometer data from the TROPICS satellite constellation.

Time Range

August 2021 to present (ongoing).

Freshness

2026-04-10 19:34:47.862714

Geography

Global, with a focus on tropical cyclone regions.