The use of passive microwave imagery in rainfall monitoring

This paper reviews progress made in rainfall estimation by satellite methods over the last two decades. The potential role of passive microwave imagery from satellites is discussed, the instrumental systems used to make microwave observations from space are described, and the limitations of the data provided by them are reviewed. The basic principles which govern rainfall assessment using passive microwave observations are examined, and the fundamental differences between the operation of these principles over land and sea are summarised. Finally, there is discussion of the present possibilities for the monitoring of rainfall simultaneously over both land and oceans.

[1]  J. Weinman,et al.  Microwave radiances from precipitating clouds containing aspherical ice, combined phase, and liquid hydrometeors , 1984 .

[2]  H. Michael Goodman,et al.  Precipitation retrieval over land and ocean with the SSM/I - Identification and characteristics of the scattering signal , 1989 .

[3]  Charles Madrid,et al.  The Nimbus 7 user's guide , 1978 .

[4]  David A. Short,et al.  Rainfall over oceans inferred from Nimbus 7 SMMR - Application to 1982-83 El Nino , 1986 .

[5]  Thomas T. Wilheit,et al.  A satellite technique for quantitatively mapping rainfall rates over the oceans , 1977 .

[6]  S. Kidder,et al.  Seasonal oceanic precipitation frequencies from Nimbus 5 microwave data , 1977 .

[7]  R. Ferraro,et al.  Classification of Geophysical Parameters Using Passive Microwave Satellite Measurements , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[8]  A. S. Gurvich,et al.  Determination of the total moisture content in the atmosphere from measurements on the Cosmos 243 satellite , 1970 .

[9]  Technical Information Branch,et al.  Satellite-derived global oceanic rainfall atlas (1973 and 1974) , 1976 .

[10]  R. Spencer.  A Satellite Passive 37-GHz Scattering-based Method for Measuring Oceanic Rain Rates. , 1986 .

[11]  E. Barrett,et al.  THE ESTIMATION OF MONTHLY RAINFALL FROM SATELLITE DATA , 1970 .

[12]  R. C. Savage,et al.  The Radiative Properties of Hydrometeors at Microwave Frequencies. , 1978 .

[13]  W. Olson,et al.  Heavy Thunderstorms Observed Over Land by the Nimbus 7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer. , 1983 .

[14]  K. Hardy,et al.  Detection of rainfall rates utilizing spaceborne microwave radiometers , 1982 .

[15]  J. Paris,et al.  Transfer of thermal microwaves in the atmosphere, volume 2 , 1971 .

[16]  M. Rao.  Retrieval of Worldwide Precipitation and Allied Parameters from Satellite Microwave Observations , 1984 .

[17]  Thomas T. Wilheit,et al.  tropical cyclone rainfall as measured by the Nimbus 5 electrically scanning microwave radiometer , 1974 .

[18]  J. Weinman,et al.  Determination of Rainfall Distributions from Microwave Radiation Measured by the Nimbus 6 ESMR , 1977 .

[19]  M. Lethbridge.  PRECIPITATION PROBABILITY AND SATELLITE RADIATION DATA , 1967 .

[20]  E. Barrett,et al.  The use of satellite data in rainfall monitoring , 1981 .

[21]  J. E. Sissala,et al.  The Nimbus-6 User's Guide , 1975 .