Abstract
In this paper parameters of precipitation profiles obtained from precipitation radar aboard tropical rainfall measuring mission satellite and from ground based micro rain radar observations have been compared for different rain events. The dual frequency radar observations of precipitating atmosphere have been utilized to study the vertical profiles of radar reflectivity and rain rate. It is shown that the inclination of the ray path of the satellite borne radar significantly influences the rain rate measurements. The study demonstrates the efficacy of combining space borne and ground-based measurement in obtaining a complete profile of vertical rain structure.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. Shige, H. Sasaki, K. Okamoto, and T. Iguchi, Validation of rainfall estimates from the TRMM precipitation radar and microwave imager using a radiative transfer model: 1. Comparison of the version-5 and -6 products, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33 (2006), L13803.
TRMM Data Users Handbook, Earth Observation Center, National Space Development Agency of Japan, (2001).
C. Kummerow, J. Simpson, O. Thiele, W. Barnes, A. T.C. Chang, E. Stocker, R.F. Adler, A. Hou, R. Kakar, F. Wentz and P. Ashcroft, The status of the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) after two years in orbit, J. Appl. Meteorol., 39 (12) (2000), 1965–1982.
D.B. Wolff, D.A. Marks, E. Amitai, D.S. Silberstein, B.L. Fisher, A. Tokay, J. Wang, and J.L. Pippitt, Ground validation for the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM), J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 22 (4) (2005), 365–380.
J. Indu and D.N. Kumar, Evaluation of TRMM PR sampling error over a subtropical basin using bootstrap technique, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 52 (11) (2014), 6870–6881.
F.J. Tapiador, F.J. Turk, W. Petersen, A.Y. Hou, E. García-Ortega, L.A. Machado, C.F. Angelis, P. Salio, C. Kidd, G.J. Huffman and M. De Castro, Global precipitation measurement: methods, datasets and applications, Atmos. Res., 104 (2012), 70–97.
B. Nijssen and D.P. Lettenmaier, Effect of precipitation sampling error on simulated hydrological fluxes and states: anticipating the global precipitation measurement satellites, J. Geophys. Res., 109 (2004), D02103. doi:10.1029/2003JD003497.
R.J. Joyce, J.E. Janowiak, P.A. Arkin and P. Xie, CMORPH: a method that produces global precipitation estimates from passive microwave and infrared data at high spatial and temporal resolution, J. Hydrometeorol., 5 (3) (2004), 487–503.
T. Kubota, S. Shige, H. Hashizume, K. Aonashi, N. Takahashi, S. Seto, Y.N. Takayabu, T. Ushio, K. Nakagawa, K. Iwanami and M. Kachi, Global precipitation map using satellite-borne microwave radiometers by the GSMaP project: production and validation, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 45 (7) (2007), 2259–2275.
C. Schumacher and R.A. Houze Jr., Stratiform rain in the tropics as seen by the TRMM precipitation radar, J. Clim., 16 (11) (2003), 1739–1756.
R. Chakraborty, S. Das, S. Jana, and A. Maitra, Nowcasting of rain events using multi-frequency radiometric observations, J. Hydrol., 513 (2014), 467–474.
R. Chakraborty, S. Das, and A. Maitra, Prediction of convective events using multi-frequency radiometric observations at Kolkata, Atmos. Res., 169 (2016), 24–31.
T. Iguchi, R. Oki, A.S. Eric and Y. Furuhama, 2–3 Global precipitation measurement program and the development of dual frequency precipitation radar, J. Commun. Res. Lab., 49 (2) (2002), 37–45.
T. Iguchi and S. Seto, Performance of the rain retrieval algorithm for the dual-frequency precipitation radar on the GPM core satellite, EGU general assembly conference abstracts, 16 (2014), 13857.
A. Maitra, S. Jana, R. Chakraborty and S. Majumder, Multi-technique observations of convective rain events at a tropical location, XXXIth URSI general assembly and scientific symposium (URSI GASS), (2014), 1–4.
S. Das, S. Talukdar, A. Bhattacharya, A. Adhikari and A. Maitra, Vertical profile of Z–R relationship and its seasonal variation at a tropical location, IEEE applied electromagnetics conference (AEMC), (2011), 1–4.
T. Sarkar, S. Das and A. Maitra, Assessment of different raindrop size measuring techniques: inter-comparison of Doppler radar, impact and optical disdrometer, Atmos. Res., 160 (2015), 15–27.
T. Iguchi, T. Kozu, R. Meneghini, J. Awaka and K. I. Okamoto, Rain-profiling algorithm for the TRMM precipitation radar, J. Appl. Meteorol., 39 (12) (2000), 2038–2052.
J.P. Zagrodnik and H. Jiang, Comparison of TRMM precipitation radar and microwave imager rainfall retrievals in tropical cyclone inner cores and rain bands, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 118 (2013), 29–42.
P.K. Kunhikrishnan, B.R. Sivaraman, N.K. Kumar and D.P. Alappattu, Rain observations with micro rain radar (MRR) over Thumba, Proc. SPIE, 6408 (2006), 64080L-1.
C.R. Williams, W.L. Ecklund and K.S. Gage, Classification of precipitating clouds in the tropics using 915-MHz wind profilers, J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 12 (1995), 996–1012.
W. Klaassen, Radar observations and simulation of the melting layer of precipitation. J. Atmos. Sci., 45 (24) (1988), 3741–3753.
M.M. D’Amico, A.R. Holt and C. Capsoni, An anisotropic model of the melting layer, Radio Sci., 33 (3) (1998), 535–552.
W. Zhang, Scattering of radiowaves by a melting layer of precipitation in backward and forward directions, IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., 42 (3) (1994), 347–356.
W.S. Olson, P. Bauer, N.F. Viltard, D.E. Johnson, W.K. Tao, R. Meneghini and L. Liao, A melting-layer model for passive/active microwave remote sensing applications. Part I: model formulation and comparison with observations, J. Appl. Meteorol., 40 (7) (2001), 1145–1163.
C.D. Kummerow, Y. Hong and W.K. Tao, A melting-layer model for passive/active microwave remote sensing applications. Part II: simulation of TRMM observations, J. Appl. Meteorol., 40 (7) (2001), 1164–1179.
Manual, instruction. Tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar Algorithm, (2005).
J.S. Marshall and W.M.K. Palmer, The distribution of raindrops with size, J. Meteorol., 5 (4) (1948), 165–166.
R.K. Yang, L.Li and H.H. Ma, Effects of backscattering enhancement considering multiple scattering in rain on MMW radar performance, Indian J. Radio Space., 42 (2013), 404–410.
Acknowledgments
Authors would like to acknowledge the support provided under the projects sponsored by Indian Space Reserach Organisation (ISRO): (1) Space Science Promotion Scheme, (2) Ku-ka band channel modelling for SATCOM links over Indian Region. One of the authors (GR) is a Junior Research Fellow under the project “Atmospheric Studies in the Geophysically Sensitive Tropical to Sub-tropical Transition Region with ST Radar Facility at Calcutta University” funded by Science and Engineering Research Board, DST, New Delhi.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rakshit, G., Maitra, A. Simultaneous Radar Observations of Vertical Profile of Rain Features from Space and Ground at Ku and Ka Bands at a Tropical Location. MAPAN 31, 291–297 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-016-0183-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-016-0183-3