Validation of satellite-derived tropical cyclone heat potential with in situ observations in the North Indian Ocean

Abstract

Tropical cyclone heat potential (TCHP) is an important ocean parameter influencing cyclones and hurricanes. The best approach for computing TCHP is to use in situ measurements. However, since in situ data have both spatial and temporal limitations, there is a need for satellite-based estimations. One potential solution is to use sea surface height anomalies (SSHAs) from altimeter observations. However, any estimation derived from satellite measurements requires extensive regional validation. In this letter, we compare satellite-derived TCHP values with those estimated using in situ measurements of the North Indian Ocean collected during 1993–2009. All the available measurements collected from the conductivity temperature and depth (CTD) profiler, expendable CTD profiler (XCTD), bathythermograph (BT), expendable BT (XBT) and Argo floats were used to estimate in situ derived TCHP values. TCHP estimations from satellite observations and in situ measurements are well correlated, with coefficient of determination R ² of 0.65 (0.76) and a scatter index (SI) of 0.33 (0.25) on a daily (monthly) basis for the North Indian Ocean.

Acknowledgements

A part of this analysis was carried out under the Technology Development Project of the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad. The authors acknowledge the encouragement, support and data provided at their respective centres. The comments by the anonymous referee and the editor Dr Tim Warner have improved the quality of the article significantly.