Abstract
In this paper, we illustrate a new, simple and complementary ground-based methodology to retrieve the vertically resolved atmospheric precipitation intensity through a synergy between measurements from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Micropulse Lidar network (MPLNET), an analytical model solution and ground-based disdrometer measurements. The presented results are obtained at two mid-latitude MPLNET permanent observational sites, located respectively at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA, and at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. The methodology is suitable to be applied to existing and/or future lidar/ceilometer networks with the main objective of either providing near real-time (3 h latency) rainfall intensity measurements and/or to validate satellite missions, especially for critical light precipitation (<3 mm h−1).
Highlights
Rain and precipitation fundamentally influence life on Earth
Taking advantage of the experience gained in these previous studies, we develop in this paper a new methodology to retrieve range-resolved rainfall intensity through a synergy between elastic lidar measurements, disdrometer data and an analytical model solution
We introduce a methodology for computing vertically-resolved rain parameters through a synergy between ground-based lidar, in situ disdrometer measurements and an analytical model solution paired with thermodynamic variables measured by atmospheric radiosondes
Summary
Rain and precipitation fundamentally influence life on Earth. With respect to the Earth-Atmosphere system, they play a role in pairing water and energy cycles, serving as a proxy for latent heat in the atmosphere. Understanding rainfall accumulation paths, together with their spatial variability, besides helping in identifying world regions subject to drought and flooding, is of fundamental importance in reducing global climate models uncertainty to forecasting global temperature change [3]. In this context and thanks to the technological progress in satellite remote sensing techniques, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched jointly with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) followed by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) [1]. The main objective of TRMM missions was to monitor and study precipitation with satellite measurements in the tropics where two-thirds of global precipitations occurs
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