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Discrimination of cloud and rain liquid water path by groundbased polarized microwave radiometry
Author(s) -
Czekala Harald,
Crewell Susanne,
Simmer Clemens,
Thiele Ariane
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012247
Subject(s) - liquid water path , environmental science , brightness temperature , downwelling , remote sensing , polarization (electrochemistry) , liquid water content , radiometry , brightness , microwave , ice cloud , precipitation , radiometer , atmospheric sciences , microwave radiometer , meteorology , cloud computing , physics , optics , radiative transfer , geology , chemistry , upwelling , quantum mechanics , oceanography , computer science , operating system
We propose a new approach for groundbased remote sensing of liquid water path (LWP) in the presence of precipitating clouds. Dual polarized groundbased microwave radiometers are capable of detecting the unique scattering signature of nonspherical precipitation sized particles. This polarization signal is only produced by the precipitation particles for which the brightness temperature emission has a different sensitivity to LWP than the smaller cloud drops. By using the information that is contained in the polarization difference of the downwelling brightness temperature the cloud and rain liquid water fractions can be estimated independently. Future retrieval algorithms based on our proposed approach will enable the detection of small precipitation fractions in thick clouds and also allow for estimates of cloud and rain LWP in raining conditions.