Tropical Cyclone Analysis Tool for Live and Archived Structure
A multi-source platform for exploring tropical cyclone vortex structure. TC-ATLAS brings together airborne Doppler radar, passive microwave and infrared satellite imagery, ERA5 environmental diagnostics, dropsonde profiles, and flight-level observations into one unified interactive tool.
TC-ATLAS unifies observations from multiple platforms and agencies into a single interactive environment.
Post-processed NOAA P-3 tail Doppler radar analyses providing full 3D wind fields, reflectivity, and derived vortex diagnostics via the TC-RADAR database.
Multi-sensor microwave imagery from the TC-PRIMED dataset, revealing precipitation structure and convective organization.
Geostationary IR brightness temperatures from GridSat-B1, MergIR, and real-time GOES ABI Band 13 imagery for cloud-top structure.
ERA5 reanalysis and operational SHIPS model parameters providing vertical wind shear, SST, moisture, and other environmental context.
Flight-level data and GPS dropsonde profiles from NOAA reconnaissance missions via the SEB archives.
Storm tracks, intensity, and classification from IBTrACS v04 for comprehensive historical context across all ocean basins.
TC-ATLAS was developed by Dr. Michael Fischer at the University of Miami to enable researchers to conduct storm-to-storm comparisons and climatological analyses of tropical cyclone vortex and convective characteristics across all stages of the lifecycle. The platform is built around the TC-RADAR database, developed in collaboration with NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, and continues to expand with new data sources and capabilities.
If you use TC-ATLAS or the underlying TC-RADAR dataset in your research, please cite the relevant publications below.
Fischer, M. S., P. D. Reasor, R. F. Rogers, and J. F. Gamache, 2022: An updated tropical cyclone radar database. Mon. Wea. Rev., 150, 2255–2278, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-21-0223.1.
Fischer, M. S., P. D. Reasor, J. P. Dunion, and R. F. Rogers, 2024: An observational analysis of the relationship between tropical cyclone vortex tilt, precipitation structure, and intensity change. Mon. Wea. Rev., 152, 203–225, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-23-0089.1.
Fischer, M. S., P. D. Reasor, J. P. Dunion, and R. F. Rogers, 2025: An anomaly-based framework for evaluating tropical cyclone vortex structure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 153, 857–875, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-24-0101.1.
TC-ATLAS: Tropical Cyclone Analysis Tool for Live and Archived Structure. Available at https://michaelfischerwx.github.io/TC-ATLAS/
Questions about TC-ATLAS? Contact the developer.