Total Precipitable Water and Rainfall Determinations from the SEASAT Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR)

摘要

Three of the SEASAT SMMR's five frequencies can be used to determine the total precipitable water in the atmosphere, the liquid water content, and the rainfall rate. In addition two distinct algorithms were used to derive geophysical parameters from brightness temperature. Comparisons with surface observations from the Gulf of Alaska SEASAT Experiment (GOASEX) and with other selected sources were made for both algorithms. Generally, very good agreement was found between satellite and radiosonde observations of total precipitable water. An estimate of the precision of radiosonde derived total precipitable water amounts was made. Comparisons of precipitation occurrence as determined from the SMMR and surface observations also were made. In the tropics, very good agreement is found between satellite and surface observations.