A statistical technique for determining rainfall over land employing Nimbus-6 ESMR measurementsStatistical analysis is performed by first sampling three categories of Nimbus 6 ESMR brightness temperatures (representing rain over land, wet land surfaces without rain, and dry land surfaces), then testing these populations for uniqueness. A classification algorithm to delineate rain over land is developed. It is found that synoptic-scale rainfall over land, where surface thermodynamic temperatures are greater than 5 C and the vegetation is bereft of dew, can indeed be delineated despite the large ESMR-6 instantaneous field of view. However, some ambiguity exists in distinguishing between rainfall areas and wet land surfaces.
Document ID
19790037042
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Rodgers, E. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Chang, A. T. C. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Wilheit, T. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Md., United States)
Siddalingaiah, H. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt; Computer Sciences Corp., Silver Spring, Md., United States)