Presentation of CSU's 2-Dimensional Video Disdrometer for the Canadian CloudSat/CALIPSO Validation Programme

Report of the 1st International GPM GV Requirements Workshop.

The validation of satellite products is classically defined as a ground-based observing strategy intended to assess whether satellite products meet their stated accuracy requirements and objectives. In the case of the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM), this philosophy was translated to the quasi-continuous operation of four ground radar sites for which TRMM satellite sensor-based and ground-based rainfall products were compared. The findings from these four sites revealed that TRMM products generally met their stated objectives.

To improve the fidelity of radiometer-based rainfall estimates over land at short temporal and spatial scales, the Global Precipitation Measurement mission (GPM) requires development of physically-based passive microwave (PMW) precipitation retrieval algorithms anchored by dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) drop size distribution (DSD), hydrometeor profile and rain rate retrievals.

A complete understanding of the Earth’s hydrologic cycle necessarily dictates an ability to accurately quantify the global range of precipitation rates and types (rain, snow etc.). In turn, global observations of precipitation are most efficiently made from space. Great strides in the measurement of global tropical rainfall have occurred recently as a result of the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM).