Abstract
The algorithms used for the retrieval of rainfall are based on physical modeling. One of the by-products of the algorithm is an estimate of the freezing level. Using observations from the TRMM precipitation radar, we can infer the freezing level from bright band observations in the radar. Comparison testing of the two provides a measure of the physical consistency in the radiative transfer model. These kinds of tests are extremely important because of the difficulty of direct validation of rainfall estimates over the oceans. Also, this study will look at the effects of using different water vapor absorption codes and precipitable water correction factors within the rainfall retrieval algorithm. The water vapor code is updated with the Liebe (1985) model. The precipitable water correction factor of .9078 is generated from data analyzed at Texas A&M University through the use of radiosonde and ship data, which has been compared to a physically based measurement of precipitable water. The work will show that the algorithm is producing freezing level estimates that are in close agreement with the TRMM precipitation radar. Also shown in the study is the fact that the addition of the Liebe (1985) model and the precipitable water correction factor have minimal change on the overall effectiveness of the rainfall retrieval algorithm.
Bellows, Christopher Timothy (1999). Consistency testing of models used to infer rainfall from TRMM passive microwave observations. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1999 -THESIS -B455.