The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed the North Atlantic Hurricane Watch (NAHW) platform for interactive visualization of multi-parameter observations and allow for on-line analysis of tropical cyclones.

Utilizing the NAHW platform, Hurricanes Irma (Figure, left) and Jose (Figure, right) as revealed by the scatterometer-derived ocean surface wind estimates from ASCAT on 11 September 2017.  Note the very large field of Irma’s strong winds covering the entire Florida peninsula.  Jose’s wind field peak intensity is higher at this time, but its area of strong winds is much smaller.  The history of the storm evolution is marked by color-codes circles that show the “Best Track” locations and storm intensity. A click on each of these marks allows the user to view information about the exact storm location, the time of its validity, the maximum winds and the minimum surface pressure – all as reported by the National Hurricane Center.

Dataset NameProcessing
Level
Start/StopFormatSpatial ResolutionTemporal
Resolution
GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1)4 to PresentNETCDF-40.01 Decimal Degrees x 0.01 Decimal DegreesHourly - < Daily
MetOp-B ASCAT Level 2 Ocean Surface Wind Vectors Optimized for Coastal Ocean2 to PresentNETCDF-412500 Meters x 12500 Meters
MetOp-A ASCAT Level 2 Ocean Surface Wind Vectors Optimized for Coastal Ocean2 to PresentNETCDF-412500 Meters x 12500 Meters