Insights into microwave radiative transfer in rain from TRMM-1 observations

The interpretation of microwave radiometer data in terms of rainfall intensity over the ocean is based on radiative transfer (RT) models. The nadir-viewing brightness temperature expected at 18 GHz is calculated as a function of rainfall intensity for two assumed freezing levels, 4 and 5 km. The tropical rainfall measurement mission (TRMM-1) observations provide an opportunity to examine the assumptions of the RT model. Often in convective rainfall, scattering of microwave radiation by the ice aloft causes extremely low microwave brightness temperatures. The TRMM-1 observations support the assumption that scattering by ice is only a minor factor at frequencies below about 20 GHz over an ocean background.