SSM/I Rain Retrievals within a Unified All-Weather Ocean Algorithm

Abstract

A new method for the physical retrieval of rain rates from satellite microwave radiometers is presented and compared to two other rainfall climatologies derived from satellites. The method is part of a unified ocean parameter retrieval algorithm that is based on the fundamental principles of radiative transfer. The algorithm simultaneously finds near-surface wind speed W, columnar water vapor V, columnar cloud liquid water L, rain rate R, and effective radiating temperature T U for the upwelling radiation. The performance of the algorithm in the absence of rain is discussed in Wentz [1995], and this paper focuses on the rain component of the algorithm.

Comparison of TRMM Rain-Rate Retrievals in Tropical Cyclones

“…The RSS rain-rate products are based on the algorithm by Wentz and Spencer (1998), with a modification by Hilburn and Wentz (2008). These are referred to in this paper as RSS V03 (Wentz and Spencer 1998) and RSS V04 (Hilburn and Wentz 2008).…”

“…These are referred to in this paper as RSS V03 (Wentz and Spencer 1998) and RSS V04 (Hilburn and Wentz 2008). RSS uses the same algorithms but with version numbers 05 and 06 for the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) and versions 04 and 05 for the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer -EOS (AMSR-E).…”

Simulation of the Global Hydrological Cycle in the CCSM Community Atmosphere Model Version 3 (CAM3): Mean Features

“…The SSMI column water vapor and cloud liquid water are derived from satellite microwave radiometers as described in Wentz and Spencer (1998). The MODIS total column water vapor product was obtained from near-IR and IR algorithms,while cloud liquid water path is derived, along with a number of physical and radiative cloud properties, using IR and visible algorithms (King et al 2003).…”

Evaluating specific error characteristics of microwave‐derived cloud liquid water products

“…The approach draws mainly from studies that examined LWP data in cloud-cleared scenes [e.g., Liu and Curry, 1993;Lin and Rossow, 1994;Jung et al, 1998] but it also examines both overcast and inhomogeneous cloud situations. Other potentially significant error sources not considered in this study include cloud emission temperature uncertainties [Greenwald et al, 1993] and possible undetected rain contamination [Wentz and Spencer, 1998]. …”