Naval Research Lab implements PV-WAVE to track cyclones

The images the NRL already had, were made by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I), a sensor employing microwave frequencies that permit analysts to see through the upper layers of non-raining clouds. This enabled analysts to see storm structure not feasible with standard visible and infrared (IR) imagery.With TROPX , data collected from all or any combination of the seven SSM/I channels was made available to users, allowing them to derive key parameters such as wind speed on the ocean surface and rain rates.

When the NRL first began to analyze the data recorded by the SSM/I, an in-house processing and visualization software package was used. The software package was a multipurpose suite of functions designed for analysts who work on and examine images collected from a wide variety of satellites. To satisfy the overall need to handle multiple sensors, the software required a huge range of possible inputs. The time and effort to provide the appropriate inputs proved burdensome to users who routinely dealt with only one or two sensors. The in-house software was thus robust, but time-consuming for inspecting, processing and analyzing large numbers of SSM/I images.

The U.S. Navy's Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) employs approximately 3,500 people located in various sites around the United States. At the NRL's Marine Meteorology Division in Monterey nearly 100 government employees and contractors work together on numerous meteorological research topics. One such effort is research aimed at more accurately determining the location and intensity of tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones (e.g., hurricanes and typhoons) have the potential to significantly impact U.S. naval fleet resources and operations.

The U.S. Navy's commitment to tracking tropical storms dates back more than 50 years. In December 1944 during World War II, the Navy encountered a typhoon in the Western Pacific in which many lives, three ships and numerous aircraft were lost. After this tragedy, naval personnel began a concerted effort to monitor the location and intensity of tropical cyclones using dedicated aircraft to seek out and locate tropical cyclones.

It wasn't until the mid-1960s that satellites were first used to monitor weather, and by the early 1970s, these satellites were utilized to monitor tropical cyclones. In 1987, the Department of Defense began using SSM/I.