Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

High-Definition Sounding System (HDSS) for Atmospheric Profiling

Peter Black Surveillance and Reconnaissance Solutions Division, SAIC, Inc., Monterey, California

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Lee Harrison Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York

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Mark Beaubien Yankee Environmental Systems, Inc., Turners Falls, Massachusetts

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Robert Bluth Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Marina, California

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Roy Woods Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Marina, California

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Andrew Penny Meteorology and Physical Oceanography Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California

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Robert W. Smith WB-57 Program Office, NASA Johnson Space Center, Ellington Field, Houston, Texas

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James D. Doyle Marine Meteorology Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, California

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Print Publication:
01 Apr 2017
Collections:
Targeted Observations, Data Assimilation, and Tropical Cyclone Predictability, Tropical Cyclone Intensity Experiment (TCI)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-14-00210.1
Page(s):
777–796
Restricted access

Abstract

The High-Definition Sounding System (HDSS) is an automated system deploying the expendable digital dropsonde (XDD) designed to measure wind and pressure–temperature–humidity (PTH) profiles, and skin sea surface temperature (SST) within and around tropical cyclones (TCs) and other high-impact weather events needing high sampling density. Three experiments were conducted to validate the XDD.

On two successive days off the California coast, 10 XDDs and 14 Vaisala RD-94s were deployed from the navy’s Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) Twin Otter aircraft over offshore buoys. The Twin Otter made spiral descents from 4 km to 60 m at the same descent rate as the sondes. Differences between successive XDD and RD-94 profiles due to true meteorological variability were on the same order as the profile differences between the spirals, XDDs, and RD-94s. XDD SST measured via infrared microradiometer, referred to as infrared skin SST (SSTir), and surface wind measurements were within 0.5°C and 1.5 m s−1, respectively, of buoy and Twin Otter values.

A NASA DC-8 flight launched six XDDs from 12 km between ex-TC Cosme and the Baja California coast. Repeatability was shown with good agreement between features in successive profiles. XDD SSTir measurements from 18° to 28°C and surface winds agreed well with drifting buoy- and satellite-derived estimates.

Excellent agreement was found between PTH and wind profiles measured by XDDs deployed from a NASA WB-57 at 18-km altitude offshore from the Texas coast and NWS radiosonde profiles from Brownsville and Corpus Christi, Texas. Successful XDD profiles were obtained in the clear and within precipitation over an offshore squall line.

Denotes content that is immediately available upon publication as open access.

Current affiliation: NOAA/OAR UAS Program Office Contractor, Cherokee Nation Technologies, LLC, Salinas, California.

Corresponding author e-mail: Peter G. Black, peter.black@noaa.gov

This article is included in the Targeted Observations, Data Assimilation, and Tropical Cyclone Predictability special collection.

This article is included in the Tropical Cyclone Intensity Experiment (TCI) Special Collection.

Abstract

The High-Definition Sounding System (HDSS) is an automated system deploying the expendable digital dropsonde (XDD) designed to measure wind and pressure–temperature–humidity (PTH) profiles, and skin sea surface temperature (SST) within and around tropical cyclones (TCs) and other high-impact weather events needing high sampling density. Three experiments were conducted to validate the XDD.

On two successive days off the California coast, 10 XDDs and 14 Vaisala RD-94s were deployed from the navy’s Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) Twin Otter aircraft over offshore buoys. The Twin Otter made spiral descents from 4 km to 60 m at the same descent rate as the sondes. Differences between successive XDD and RD-94 profiles due to true meteorological variability were on the same order as the profile differences between the spirals, XDDs, and RD-94s. XDD SST measured via infrared microradiometer, referred to as infrared skin SST (SSTir), and surface wind measurements were within 0.5°C and 1.5 m s−1, respectively, of buoy and Twin Otter values.

A NASA DC-8 flight launched six XDDs from 12 km between ex-TC Cosme and the Baja California coast. Repeatability was shown with good agreement between features in successive profiles. XDD SSTir measurements from 18° to 28°C and surface winds agreed well with drifting buoy- and satellite-derived estimates.

Excellent agreement was found between PTH and wind profiles measured by XDDs deployed from a NASA WB-57 at 18-km altitude offshore from the Texas coast and NWS radiosonde profiles from Brownsville and Corpus Christi, Texas. Successful XDD profiles were obtained in the clear and within precipitation over an offshore squall line.

Denotes content that is immediately available upon publication as open access.

Current affiliation: NOAA/OAR UAS Program Office Contractor, Cherokee Nation Technologies, LLC, Salinas, California.

Corresponding author e-mail: Peter G. Black, peter.black@noaa.gov

This article is included in the Targeted Observations, Data Assimilation, and Tropical Cyclone Predictability special collection.

This article is included in the Tropical Cyclone Intensity Experiment (TCI) Special Collection.

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