Satellite sensing of intense winter mesocyclones over the Japan Sea

Mesoscale cyclonic activity is one of the characteristics of the cold season in the Japan Sea. High winds and precipitation accompanying intense mesoscale cyclones (MCs) disturb transport and fishery operations in the sea and small sizes and fast development hinders their forecast and detection. Satellite data of visible, infrared, passive and active microwave sensors serve as a valuable source of data on MCs. They are used for their detection, tracking, evaluating of quantitative characteristics of the atmospheric and oceanic parameters during MC life cycle, getting statistical estimates as well as for checking and improving the results of modeling. Case studies demonstrate the efficiency of the multisensory approach and the leading role of microwave sensing for mesoscale cyclone investigation.