Application of single drop scattering algorithms to rain related retrieval

Since many years radars are known as valuable tools to retrieve rain. Applying well established relations for different types of radar allows accessing many rain parameters. For calculating the scattering function, the flattening of rain drops constitutes a non-negligible error source. In this contribution, different algorithms are applied to calculate the scattering function or the cross section of rain drops. Their results are compared to each other. A point matching algorithm serves as reference. To this reference, results from a Mie scattering algorithm, and - for backscatter - the Rayleigh approximation and an algorithm correcting the backscatter cross section according to the Rayleigh approximation for drop flattening are compared. The findings from this inter-comparison are presented for transmitting frequencies of 10 GHz, 24 GHz and 94 GHz.