How was the Typhoon monitored? satellites, radar, aircraft observation reveal secrets
From the cloud maps of Feng Shui satellites to Doppler radar rainfall scans, to U.S. reconnaissance planes directly through the Typhoon eye, modern Typhoon monitoring is stereo operation.
Three main monitoring methods
Meteorological Satellite: Seeing the Distance
The satellite is the main force of Typhoon monitoring. China's wind cloud series (FY-4A/4B static satellite + polar orbit satellite) , Japan Aries 9 (Himawari-9) all-weather view of the W Pacific Ocean:
- Stationary satellites every 10 minutes (fastest 1 minute) capture a full-disk cloud map
- Estimate Typhoon Intensity with Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Structure "DeWashark Analysis"
- Microwave sensors can penetrate the cloud"CT scanning"Typhoon’s internal structure
Typhoon is deep in the ocean, and when there is no ship aircraft, the satellite is the only eye.
Weather Radar: The Clearest
Typhoon is approximately 400 km near land, and the coastal Doppler radar network starts work:
- Scan every 6 minutes, live capture of spiral rainbows, eye wall structure
- Doppler speed measurement directly counter the distribution of the wind field.
- For Landfall points, LandfallTime’s near forecast is crucial
Aircraft surveillance: the most accurate
U.S. Air Force "Hurricane Hunters" (Hurricane Hunters) regularly crossing the Great W Ocean Hurricane Center, directly launching a landing detector, testing Pressure and wind speed. Northwest Pacific is currently mainly satellite and radar, China and Taiwan region have also conducted wind-tracking aircraft tests (such as "wind-tracking program") , drone detection is the future direction.
How Data Becomes a Forecast
观测数据汇入数值天气Forecast模式 (欧洲ECMWF, USAGFS, ChinaCMA-GFS等) , 超级计算机求解大气方程组, formed未来路径与IntensityForecast. 各国模式的物理方案和初始场处理不同, Forecast结果自然有分歧——这正是TyphoonSays提供中, 日, 美等多机构Forecast对比的意义: 分歧大小本身就是不确定性的信号.
Monitoring results that ordinary people can use
TyphoonSays’ Live Track data is officially released every 5 minutes in sync, including the latest positioning, Intensity, Winds, and multi-agency Forecast, which is exactly what the above-mentioned system of observations supports.