Assessment of the Performance of a Dual-Frequency Surface Reference Technique Over Ocean

The high correlation of the rain-free surface cross sections at two frequencies suggests that the estimate of differential path-integrated attenuation caused by precipitation along the radar beam can be obtained to a higher degree of accuracy than the path attenuation at either frequency. We explore...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing 2012-08, Vol.50 (8), p.2968-2977
Main Authors: Meneghini, R., Liang Liao, Tanelli, S., Durden, S. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied geophysics
Attenuation
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Internal geophysics
precipitation
radar
Rain
Sea measurements
Sea surface
Spaceborne radar
surface scattering
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The high correlation of the rain-free surface cross sections at two frequencies suggests that the estimate of differential path-integrated attenuation caused by precipitation along the radar beam can be obtained to a higher degree of accuracy than the path attenuation at either frequency. We explore this potential first analytically and then by examining data from the JPL dual-frequency airborne radar using measurements from the Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling experiment obtained during July-August 2007. Despite an improvement in the accuracy of the differential path attenuation, solving for parameters of the particle size distribution often requires not only this quantity but the single-wavelength path attenuation as well. We investigate a simple method of estimating the single-frequency path attenuation from the differential attenuation and compare this estimate with that derived directly from the surface return.
ISSN:0196-2892
1558-0644
DOI:10.1109/TGRS.2011.2180727