Articles | Volume 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-7-387-2006
https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-7-387-2006
29 Nov 2006
29 Nov 2006

On the potential of sub-mm passive MW observations from geostationary satellites to retrieve heavy precipitation over the Mediterranean Area

S. Pinori, F. Baordo, C. M. Medaglia, A. Mugnai, and B. Bizzarri

Abstract. The general interest in the potential use of the mm and sub-mm frequencies up to 425 GHz resolution from geostationary orbit is increasing due to the fact that the frequent time sampling and the comparable spatial resolution relative to the "classical" (≤89 GHz) microwave frequencies would allow the monitoring of precipitating intense events for the assimilation of rain in now-casting weather prediction models.

In this paper, we use the simulation of a heavy precipitating event in front of the coast of Crete island (Greece) performed by the University of Wisconsin - Non-hydrostatic Modeling System (UW-NMS) cloud resolving model in conjunction with a 3D-adjusted plane parallel radiative transfer model to simulate the upwelling brightness temperatures (TB's) at mm and sub-mm frequencies. To study the potential use of high frequencies, we first analyze the relationships of the simulated TB's with the microphysical properties of the UW-NMS simulated precipitating clouds, and then explore the capability of a Bayesian algorithm for the retrieval of surface rain rate, rain and ice water paths at such frequencies.

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