Rainfall estimation from satellite passive microwave observations<br><br>

K. Haselton<br>
Institut f&uuml;r Geowissenschaften, Universit&auml;t Potsdam<br><br>

Satellite passive microwave observations from the 
<a href="http://www-ias.jpl.nasa.gov/Model/Plato/map/SSMI.html">Special Sensor
Microwave Imager</a> (<a href="http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/~turk/precip1.html">SSMI</a>) 
are used to estimate rain rates based on the
scattering index approach. This approach estimates rainfall intensity
using the scattering of 85 GHz terrestrial radiation by ice particles
at the top of precipitating clouds.

SSMI rainfall retrievals provide space-filling, area-averaged rainfall
estimates ('snapshots') up to four times daily. This is especially
valuable when area-averaged rather than point measurements are desired,
when studying diurnal rainfall variations and in regions where the
distribution of ground stations is scarce.

The use of SSMI rainfall estimates is demonstrated for two
applications: 1) determination of the locations and relative
intensities of orographic precipitation maxima and 2) as input to a
simple water balance model for Lake Titicaca on the Bolivian/Peruvian
Altiplano.<br><br> 

Kirk Haselton, Institut f&uuml;r Geowissenschaften, University of Potsdam,
POB 601553, D-14415 Potsdam, Germany, Tel +49-331-977-2630, -2047, Fax -2087,
kirk@geo.uni-potsdam.de,
<a href="http://www.uni-potsdam.de/u/Geowissenschaft/index.htm">
http://www.uni-potsdam.de/u/Geowissenschaft/index.htm</a>