FN Archimer Export Format
PT J
TI Global oceanic precipitation: A joint view by TOPEX and the TOPEX microwave radiometer
BT 
AF CHEN, Ge
   CHAPRON, Bertrand
   TOURNADRE, Jean
   KATSAROS, Kristina
   VANDEMARK, Douglas
AS 1:1;2:2;3:2;4:2;5:3;
FF 1:;2:;3:;4:;5:;
C1 OCEAN UNIV QINGDAO,OCEAN REMOTE SENSING INST,5 YUSHAN RD,QINGDAO 266003,PEOPLES R CHINA.
   IFREMER,CTR BREST,DEPT OCEANOG SPATIALE,F-29280 PLOUZANE,FRANCE.
   NASA,GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CTR,LAB HYDROSPHER PROC,WALLOPS FLIGHT FACIL,WALLOPS ISL,VA 23337., USA
C2 UNIV QINGDAO, CHINA
   IFREMER, FRANCE
   NASA, USA
IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018
TC 31
UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00336/44719/44883.pdf
LA English
DT Article
AB The TOPEX/POSEIDON mission offers the first opportunity to observe rain cells over the ocean by a dual-frequency radar altimeter (TOPEX) and simultaneously observe their natural radiative properties by a three-frequency radiometer (TOPEX microwave radiometer (TMR)). This work is a feasibility study aimed at understanding the capability and potential of the active/passive TOPEX/TMR system for oceanic rainfall detection. On the basis of past experiences in rain flagging, a joint TOPEX/TMR rain probability index is proposed. This index integrates several advantages of the two sensors and provides a more reliable rain estimate than the radiometer alone. One year's TOPEX/TMR TMR data are used to test the performance of the index. The resulting rain frequency statistics show quantitative agreement with those obtained from the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), while qualitative agreement is found for other regions of the world ocean. A recent finding that the latitudinal frequency of precipitation over the Southern Ocean increases steadily toward the Antarctic continent is confirmed by our result. Annual and seasonal precipitation maps are derived from the index. Notable features revealed include an overall similarity in rainfall pattern from the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Indian Oceans and a general phase reversal between the two hemispheres, as well as a number of regional anomalies in terms of rain intensity. Comparisons with simultaneous Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) multisatellite precipitation rate and COADS rain climatology suggest that systematic differences also exist. One example is that the maximum rainfall in the ITCZ of the Indian Ocean appears to be more intensive and concentrated in our result compared to that of the GPCP. Another example is that the annual precipitation produced by TOPEX/TMR is constantly higher than those from GPCP and COADS in the extratropical regions of the northern hemisphere, especially in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Analyses of the seasonal variations of prominent rainy and dry zones in the tropics and subtropics show various behaviors such as systematic migration, expansion and contraction, merging and breakup, and pure intensity variations, The seasonality of regional features is largely influenced by local atmospheric events such as monsoon, storm, or snow activities. The results of this study suggest that TOPEX and its follow-on may serve as a complementary sensor to the special sensor microwave/imager in observing global oceanic precipitation.
PY 1997
PD MAY
SO Journal Of Geophysical Research-oceans
PU Amer Geophysical Union
VL 102
IS C5
UT A1997XA56900007
BP 10457
EP 10471
DI 10.1029/97JC00047
ID 44719
ER

EF