CIMSS-NOAA Weekly Report [ Archive ]

CIMSS AND ASPB WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 21, 2023

DATA, INFORMATION, AND USE-INSPIRED SCIENCE:

FUTURE OUTLOOK:

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

TRAVEL AND MEETINGS:

CYGNSS-TROPICS Workshop Participation by CIMSS staff: Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) researcher Derrick Herndon attended the combined CYGNSS-TROPICS workshop in Miami, FL April 18-20, 2023 where he presented results for the TROPICS Tropical Cyclone Intensity Estimation (TCIE) algorithm. Derrick also served on a panel that discussed cubesat/smallsat missions and products relevant to tropical cyclone applications. The workshop was designed to increase collaboration between the two missions leveraging the already successful CYGNSS mission to help prepare for product dissemination, successes and potential barriers for the upcoming TROPICS mission. The workshop consisted of representatives from operational forecast agencies, algorithms developers, NOAA/NASA personnel and private industry. The TROPICS team continues to work with the data provided by the TROPICS Pathfinder mission, that was launched in 2021, to validate the various algorithms and calibrate data in anticipation of the full mission launch by Rocket Lab of two satellites in May and another two in June of this year. (D. Herndon, CIMSS, 608-262-6741)

CIMSS Staff Attend the National Tropical Weather Conference: Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) researcher Derrick Herndon attended the National Tropical Weather Conference held in South Padre Island, TX April where he gave a talk (also livestreamed) on the challenges of estimating tropical cyclone intensity from satellite data. The conference is attended by a mix of media representatives, research scientists and operational forecasters where issues related to tropical cyclone science and hazard communication are discussed. Derrick was interviewed by extreme weather and disaster scientist Dr. Hal Needham as part of a media event for the conference. (D. Herndon, CIMSS, 608-262-6741)

TRAINING AND EDUCATION:

CIMSS Training Modules recorded for Hazardous Weather Testbed: Scott Lindstrom from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) recorded three training modules for CIMSS Products that are being demonstrated at the Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) at SPC from late May through mid June. The 11-minute recordings (available here: https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/training/HWT2023) describe the basics of ProbSevere Version 3, ProbSevere LightningCast Proabilities, and Polar Hyperspectral Soundings with Microwave and ABI data (PHSnMWnABI, or PHS for short). The products will help forecasters better anticipate the development of convective severe weather. The recordings were created with significant input from John Cintineo, CIMSS (For ProbSevere Version 3 and for LightningCast Probabilities) and Bill Smith, Sr and Qi Zhang, CIMSS. (S. Lindstrom, CIMSS, 608 263 4425; J. Cintineo CIMSS; W. L. Smith Sr., CIMSS; Q. Zhang, CIMSS)

MEDIA INTERACTIONS AND REQUESTS:

SOCIAL MEDIA AND BLOG Posts:

PUBLICATIONS:

Paper Describing a Transition to More Flash Droughts Published in Science: A manuscript entitled “A global transition to flash droughts under climate change” by Xing Yuan et al. was published in the April issue of Science. J. Otkin is a co-author of this international study that used model reanalyses to examine if drought intensification rates have changed during recent decades. The results showed that droughts are intensifying more quickly over subseasonal time scales and that there has been a transition toward more flash droughts during the past six decades over most of the IPCC SREX (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on EXtreme events) regions. The study also showed that climate models project a continued trend toward more flash droughts in the future. The transition toward faster developing droughts is associated with amplified anomalies of evapotranspiration and precipitation deficits. Citation: Yuan, X., Y. Wang, P. Ji, P. Wu, J. Sheffield, and J. Otkin, 2023, A global transition to flash droughts under climate change, Science, 380 (6641), https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn6301. (J. Otkin, CIMSS, 608-265-2476)

OTHER: