Simultaneous observations of a tropical cyclone from dual-pol TerraSAR-X and ground-based weather radar

Recent advances in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology have revived meteorological applications with this type of radar. SARs are designed for surface imaging, but now that several X-band, multi-polarization SAR satellites are in orbit, the attenuation and backscatter change caused by precipitation can be better studied. The results presented here demonstrate some of the possibilities by analyzing observations from dual-polarization (HH, VV) TerraSAR-X acquisitions over central Florida during and after Tropical Storm Fay on August 19, 2008. Simultaneously, WSR-88D ground weather radars in Melbourne and Tampa Bay, FL collected reflectivity and radial velocity data from the storm where a strong precipitation cell is roughly co-located with severe attenuation in the SAR image. The SAR measurements are explained quantitatively by simultaneous ground radar observations. In addition, polarization analysis comparing the SAR image a subsequent TerraSAR-X acquisition 11 days later shows the impact of the storm over the entire image.