MTrack: Improved Center Fix of Tropical Cyclones from SMAP Wind Observations

Abstract MTrack is an automated algorithm that determines the center location (latitude and longitude) of a tropical cyclone from scalar wind field derived satellite observations. Accurate storm centers are useful for operational forecasting cyclones their reanalysis (e.g., research on surge modeling). Currently, fixes have significantly larger errors weak, disorganized storms. The presented here improves in some those cases. It also and, therefore, less subjective than manual made by forecasters. algorithm, which was originally designed to work with CYGNSS speed measurements, applied SMAP winds first time. average difference between Best Track locations 21, 36, 46 km major hurricanes, category 1–2 storms, respectively. shown operate successfully when only partially sampled observing eye not resolved.