The Observing Techniques Theme involves designing, testing, and automating optimal data collection, as well as quality control, analysis, and transmission of data to improve initialization and validation of operational and research tropical-cyclone models, and to further basic understanding. New and existing platforms are evaluated for use in tropical-cyclone data assimilation and basic understanding.

• Understand the structure and dynamics of the inner core of tropical cyclones using observations from manned and unmanned aircraft
• Improve the quality-control process and real-time data transmission of GPS dropsonde data from manned and unmanned aircraft
• Evaluate the use of unmanned aircraft to augment observations from conventional aircraft
• Help to identify, evaluate, and pursue real-time data transmission from remote sounders, LIDAR, and radar systems from the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft
• Rescue older non-digital data, and make them available through our website and FTP site. Improve our web interface to make such access simple.
• Optimal sampling strategies for aircraft and satellite platforms
• Evaluation of SFMR wind speeds in tropical cyclones using GPS dropsondes
• Application of SFMR and other surface wind speed data for improved tropical cyclone intensity estimates

• Data Rescue
• Development of Multiple Moving Nests Within a Basin-Wide HWRF Modeling
• Environmental flow impacts on tropical cyclone inner-core structure
• Meso- and Miso-scale structures in the eye and eyewall of major hurricanes
• Model Error in HWRF Surface Layer and Boundary Layer Parameterizations
• Observing System Experiments with aircraft data
• Optimization of the NOAA G-IV Surveillance Aircraft Flight Patterns through Observing System Simulation Experiments
• Real-time Doppler winds
• Saharan Air Layer
• Services to Support the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project
• SFMR Surface Wind Improvement in Heavy Rain Conditions
• Vortex-Scale Data Assimilation With HEDAS