Global precipitation monitoring

Abstract

Satellite observations play a vital role in the global monitoring of precipitation because they fill in large data voids where conventional measurements such as surface rain gauges and weather radars are primarily restricted to populated land regions. Geostationary satellites, containing visible and infrared sensors, provide the most continuous observations from space; they can infer surface precipitation through relationships between cloud properties and precipitation rate. Passive microwave sensors, which operate primarily on low Earth-orbiting satellites, provide a more direct measurement of rainfall and global coverage; however, they observe the Earth less frequently than the geostationary satellites. This chapter summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the various satellite retrieval algorithms, then describes emerging blended precipitation products that merge different satellite measurements to achieve the best possible rainfall product. Examples of the utility of such data are also provided.