Title :
Simulation of SeaWinds measurements in the presence of rain using collocated TRMM PR data
Author :
Draper, David W. ; Long, David G.
Author_Institution :
Microwave Earth Remote Sensing Lab., Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT, USA
Abstract :
The scatterometer SeaWinds on QuikSCAT measures ocean winds via the relationship between the wind and the normalized radar backscatter cross-section (σ°) from the ocean surface. Scattering and attenuation from falling rain droplets along with ocean surface perturbations due to rain change the backscatter signature of the waves induced by near-surface winds. A Simple model incorporates the effects of rain on ocean σ°. Colocated data from the precipitation radar (PR) aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite is used to simulate the effects of rain as seen by SeaWinds. PR-derived backscatter, atmospheric rain attenuation, and rain rates are averaged over the SeaWinds footprint. The enhancement in backscatter from rain striking the ocean surface is estimated as a function of rain rate using a least-squares technique. QuikSCAT σ° values are simulated from the PR-derived parameters and numerical weather prediction wind data using the simple backscatter model. The simple model estimates 90% of the observed rain-contaminated QuikSCAT σ° values to within 3 dB.
Keywords :
atmospheric techniques; backscatter; meteorological radar; radar cross-sections; radar theory; remote sensing by radar; spaceborne radar; wind; QuikSCAT; SeaWinds; TRMM PR data; marine atmosphere; measurement technique; meteorological radar; model; near-surface winds; radar backscatter cross-section; radar remote sensing; radar scatterometry; rain effects; simulation; spaceborne radar; wind; Atmospheric modeling; Backscatter; Oceans; Radar cross section; Radar measurements; Radar scattering; Rain; Sea measurements; Sea surface; Wind;
Conference_Titel :
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2002. IGARSS '02. 2002 IEEE International
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7536-X
DOI :
10.1109/IGARSS.2002.1026268