Abstract The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Block 5D series of satellite sensors have been a cornerstone of the global effort to monitor tropical cyclone (TC) location, structure and intensity since 1976. These satellite-based sensors uniquely complement land and ocean surface reports, radiosondes, aircraft, and geostationary visible and infrared (Vis/IR) imagery. DMSP sensors have incorporated new technology with the ability to penetrate through clouds to see the critical TC structures needed to make accurate nowcasts and forecasts. The DMSP uses a combination of Vis/IR optical sensors and state-of-the-art passive microwave (PMW) imagers and sounders. Specific spectral bands are selected to observe desired phenomena (rain, temperature and moisture profiles, total precipitable water, cloud liquid water, etc.). These bands were first demonstrated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellites and then updated and expanded by DMSP operationally. The DMSP sounders were the first to exploit the water vapor sounding channels (183 GHz), now global weather constellation standards. These attributes have directly benefited the world-wide TC community by mitigating the inherent Vis/IR cloud limitations. Researchers have devised objective products that add forecaster value. These automated products provide near-real-time guidance supplementing human analyst’s outputs via state-of-the-art TC structure and intensity characteristics. Follow-on civilian sensors continue these efforts and engineering strides now enable smaller and more cost-effective options that permit constellations that provide otherwise unattainable temporal sampling. This paper will focus on the DMSP Block 5D beginning in 1976 and continuing through satellites and sensors still operational today.
Hawkins et al. (Mon,) studied this question.