Searchlight: Precipitation advection tracking using multiplatform low-earth-orbiting satellite data

Bellerby, Timothy

Abstract

This paper presents a new algorithm, Searchlight, capable of tracking precipitation advection through the complex spatiotemporal sampling pattern of multiplatform low-Earth-orbiting (LEO) passive and active microwave satellite data sets. The algorithm is based on the concept of "shining" a searchlight forward in time along proposed advection velocity vectors from a given LEO overpass. The searchlight "beam" links precipitation patterns in the current satellite overpass to corresponding patterns in multiple future overpasses. A global optimization determines an advection model by maximizing mutual information between linked precipitation measurements. The algorithm has been validated against surface radar over a region covering the Central and Eastern U.S.

Citation

Bellerby, T. (2013). Searchlight: Precipitation advection tracking using multiplatform low-earth-orbiting satellite data. IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing : a publication of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, 51(4), 2177-2187. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2012.2211604

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Sep 17, 2012
• Publication Date: 2013-04
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: Ieee Transactions On Geoscience And Remote Sensing
• Print ISSN: 0196-2892
• Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 51
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 2177-2187
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2012.2211604
• Keywords: Vectors; Pattern matching; Storms; Low earth orbit satellites; Microwave measurements; Radar tracking; Feature tracking; Mutual information; Precipitation advection; Satellite precipitation
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/368943
• Publisher URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6304914/
• Contract Date: Nov 13, 2014