NASA has selected a team including Southwest Research Institute
to develop the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System
(CYGNSS), which will provide better prediction capabilities for
extreme weather events, particularly the intensification of
hurricanes. Tropical cyclones develop over warm bodies of water
and typically consist of an “eye” – a center of low pressure –
and intense, rotating thunderstorms that produce strong winds
and heavy rains. Heat drawn up from the water produces energy
through a complex process that can feed and strengthen the
storm, spawning tornadoes and causing significant damage as it
moves over land. CYGNSS will study the relationship between
ocean surface properties, moist atmospheric thermodynamics,
radiation and convective dynamics to determine how a tropical
cyclone forms and if and by how much it will strengthen, thereby
helping to advance forecasting and tracking methods. “The system
will allow us to probe the inner core of hurricanes in greater
detail to understand their rap