WIVERN Potential in Revealing Tropical Cyclone Structure and Rapid Intensification

This thesis investigates the observational capabilities of the Wind Velocity Radar Nephoscope (WIVERN) mission, recently selected for Phase A studies within ESA Earth Explorer 11 program. The mission aims to address a longstanding gap in the global observation system: the lack of direct measurements of three-dimensional wind fields within clouds, particularly in the context of tropical cyclones. Unlike conventional remote sensing systems, WIVERN is designed to provide vertically resolved, in-cloud wind observations across an 800 km-wide swath with kilometre-scale horizontal resolution and quasi-daily global coverage. This represents a significant advancement in the ability to monitor storm-scale dynamics from space. The study explores WIVERN potential in two key aspects of tropical cyclone research: the reconstruction of internal wind structure and the detection of storm rapid intensification. WIVERN-like observations are simulated by applying an end-to-end simulations to high-resolution WRF data of Hurricane Milton (2024). Results show that WIVERN is able to resolve essential dynamical features such as low-level inflow and outflow layers, upper-level divergence, vertical wind shear and in-cloud circulation within convective anvils. Additionally, in scenarios with close-in-time overpasses, WIVERN demonstrates the ability to capture changes in maximum wind speeds within the cyclone’s inner core, enabling the identification of intensification phases. These findings highlight the mission’s potential to improve the global monitoring of tropical cyclones and to improve our understanding of their evolution in a changing climate.