ESSIC scientists involved with the NASA TROPICS CubeSat mission recently built an algorithm for hydrometers retrieval. In a paper in Remote Sensing of Environment, John Yang, Yong-Keun Lee, and Chris Grassotti use TROPICS data for retrieving global rainfall and graupel capture hurricane structures, including hurricane rainbands. The team also worked with CIRA scientist collaborator Shuyan Liu and collaborators from MIT, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, and NASA. This work has been supported by Mark Liu who leads the MiRS team at NOAA/STAR.
The NASA TROPICS mission leverages a constellation of CubeSats with advanced microwave radiometers, introducing novel frequencies at 118 GHz and 205 GHz to study tropical meteorology, precipitation, and storm dynamics. The payload is TROPICS Microwave Sounder (TMS), a 12-channel W/F/G band radiometer developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Enhanced through the NOAA Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MiRS), TROPICS data offers new insights into rainfall and graupel retrievals, showcasing a strong ability to capture hurricane structures, such as the eyewall replacement cycle of Super Typhoon Mindulle and Hurricane Ida’s rainbands, as well as global precipitation.
“CubeSats are prevailing in Earth remote sensing because of their compact size, advanced electronics and cost-effectiveness. TROPICS-alike sensors are being launched by industrial companies like Tomorrow.io, a weather technology company, for better weather forecasts,” said Yang. “This study highlights the capability of CubeSats for precipitation measurement and could also improve weather forecasting.”
Comparative analyses reveal TROPICS’ high sensitivity to precipitation features, at the same level of conventional sensors like the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). High-frequency channels demonstrate pronounced sensitivity to hydrometeors, offering finer resolution than lower-frequency counterparts.
Preliminary findings affirm TROPICS’ potential for robust precipitation retrievals, comparable to established sensors, with further enhancements expected through continued MiRS tuning. Future work will integrate ground-based observations and expand datasets, enhancing weather and environmental applications.
John Yang is an Associate Research Scientist at ESSIC/CISESS. His research areas include Earth remote sensing, microwave radiometry, hardware development, calibration, and retrievals. He received his PhD from University of Michigan. He has been involved with a number of NASA/NOAA satellite missions, including the Aquarius, GPM, CYGNSS, JPSS, and TROPICS. He is a senior member of IEEE and an associate editor of IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing (JSTARS).
Yong-Keun Lee received a B.S. degree in atmospheric science from Seoul National University, Seoul Korea, in 1994, and M.S. degree in atmospheric science from the same University in 1996. Between 1996 and 1999, he was with the Republic of Korea Air Force, and between 1999 and 2001, he was a Research Scientist with Korea Meteorological Administration. He received a Ph.D. degree in atmospheric science from Texas A&M University in 2006. Between 2006 and 2018, he was a Research Scientist with SSEC/CIMSS and he has been a Research Scientist with ESSIC/CISESS since 2018.
Christopher Grassotti received a B.S. degree in earth and space science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA, in 1982, tan M.S. degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA, in 1986, and an M.S. degree in viticulture and enology from AgroMontpellier, Montpellier, France, in 2007. From 1986 to 1991 and again from 1993 to 2005, he was a Research Associate, Senior Research Associate and Staff Scientist with Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., Lexington, MA, USA. From 1991 to 1993, he was with the Atmospheric Environmental Service, Environment Canada, Dorval, QC, Canada. Since 2008, he has been with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, College Park, MD, USA. He has been a Senior Faculty Specialist with ESSIC/CISESS since 2015.
