Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

A Comparison of TRMM Microwave Techniques for Detecting the Diurnal Rainfall Cycle

Victoria L. Sanderson ADAS, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Search for other papers by Victoria L. Sanderson in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
Chris Kidd School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Search for other papers by Chris Kidd in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Glenn R. McGregor Department of Geography, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

Search for other papers by Glenn R. McGregor in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
01 Aug 2006
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM507.1
Page(s):
687–704
Restricted access

Abstract

This paper uses rainfall estimates retrieved from active and passive microwave data to investigate how spatially and temporally dependent algorithm biases affect the monitoring of the diurnal rainfall cycle. Microwave estimates used in this study are from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and include the precipitation radar (PR) near-surface (2A25), Goddard Profiling (GPROF) (2A12), and PR–TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) (2B31) rain rates from the version 5 (v5) 3G68 product. A rainfall maximum is observed early evening over land, while oceans generally show a minimum in rainfall during the morning. Comparisons of annual and seasonal mean hourly rain rates and harmonics at both global and regional scales show significant differences between the algorithms. Relative and absolute biases over land vary according to the time of day. Clearly, these retrieval biases need accounting for, either in the physics of the algorithm or through the provision of accurate error estimates, to avoid erroneous climatic signals and the discrediting of satellite rainfall estimations.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Victoria Sanderson, ADAS, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton WV6 8TQ, United Kingdom. Email: victoria.sanderson@adas.co.uk

Abstract

This paper uses rainfall estimates retrieved from active and passive microwave data to investigate how spatially and temporally dependent algorithm biases affect the monitoring of the diurnal rainfall cycle. Microwave estimates used in this study are from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and include the precipitation radar (PR) near-surface (2A25), Goddard Profiling (GPROF) (2A12), and PR–TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) (2B31) rain rates from the version 5 (v5) 3G68 product. A rainfall maximum is observed early evening over land, while oceans generally show a minimum in rainfall during the morning. Comparisons of annual and seasonal mean hourly rain rates and harmonics at both global and regional scales show significant differences between the algorithms. Relative and absolute biases over land vary according to the time of day. Clearly, these retrieval biases need accounting for, either in the physics of the algorithm or through the provision of accurate error estimates, to avoid erroneous climatic signals and the discrediting of satellite rainfall estimations.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Victoria Sanderson, ADAS, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton WV6 8TQ, United Kingdom. Email: victoria.sanderson@adas.co.uk

Save
Cover Journal of Hydrometeorology
Journal of Hydrometeorology

  • Adler, R. F., Huffman G. J. , Bolvin D. T. , Curtis S. , and Nelkin E. J. , 2000: Tropical rainfall distributions determined using TRMM combined with other satellite and rain gauge information. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 2007–2023.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Adler, R. F., Kidd C. , Petty G. , Morissey M. , and Goodman M. , 2001: Intercomparison of global precipitation products. The third Precipitation Intercomparison Projects (PIP-3). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 82 , 1377–1396.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Albright, M. D., Recker E. R. , Reed R. J. , and Dang R. , 1985: The diurnal variation of deep convection and inferred precipitation in the central tropical Pacific during January–February 1979. Mon. Wea. Rev., 113 , 1663–1680.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Anagnostou, E. N., Morales C. , and Dinku T. , 2001: The use of TRMM Precipitation Radar observations in determining ground radar calibration biases. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 18 , 616–628.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Berg, W., Kummerow C. , and Morales C. A. , 2002: Differences between East and West Pacific rainfall systems. J. Climate, 15 , 3659–3672.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bolen, S., and Chandrasekar V. , 2000: Quantitative cross validation of space-based and ground-based radar observations. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 2071–2079.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bowman, K. P., Phillips A. B. , and North G. R. , 2003: Comparison of TRMM rainfall retrievals with rain gauge data from the TAO/Triton buoy array. Geophys. Res. Lett., 30 .1757, doi:10.1029/2003GL017552.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Burroughs, W. J., 1994: Weather Cycles: Real or Imaginary? Cambridge University Press, 330 pp.

  • Chang, A. T. C., Chiu L. S. , and Yang G. , 1995: Diurnal cycle of oceanic precipitation from SSM/I data. Mon. Wea. Rev., 123 , 3371–3379.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Chen, S., and Houze R. A. , 1997: Diurnal variation and lifecycle of deep convective systems over the tropical Pacific warm pool. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 123 , 357–388.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Dai, A. G., 2001: Global precipitation and thunderstorm frequencies. Part II: Diurnal variations. J. Climate, 14 , 1112–1128.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Durden, S. L., Im E. , Li F. K. , Girard R. , and Pak K. , 2001: Surface clutter due to antenna sidelobes for spaceborne atmospheric radar. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 39 , 1916–1921.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Ferreira, F., Amayenc P. , Oury S. , and Testud J. , 2001: Study and tests of improved rain estimates from the TRMM precipitation radar. J. Appl. Meteor., 40 , 1878–1899.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Garreaud, R. D., and Wallace J. M. , 1997: The diurnal march of the convective cloudiness over the Americas. Mon. Wea. Rev., 125 , 3157–3171.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gray, W. M., and Jacobson R. W. , 1977: Diurnal variation of deep cumulus convection. Mon. Wea. Rev., 105 , 1171–1188.

  • Haddad, Z., Smith E. A. , Kummerow C. , Iguchi T. , Farrar M. , Darden S. , Alves M. , and Olson W. , 1997: The TRMM ‘Day-1’ radar/radiometer combined rain profile algorithm. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 75 , 799–808.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Houze, R. A., 1997: Stratiform precipitation in regions of convection: A meteorological paradox? Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 78 , 2179–2196.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Iguchi, T., Kozu T. , Meneghini R. , Awaka J. , and Okamoto K. , 2000: Rain profiling algorithm for TRMM Precipitation Radar data. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 2038–2052.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Imaoka, K., and Spencer R. W. , 2000: Diurnal variation of precipitation over the tropical oceans observed by TRMM/TMI combined with SSM/I. J. Climate, 13 , 4149–4158.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Janowiak, J. E., Arkin P. A. , and Morrissey M. , 1994: An examination of the diurnal cycle in oceanic tropical rainfall using satellite and in situ data. Mon. Wea. Rev., 122 , 2296–2311.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Janowiak, J. E., Arkin P. , Xie P. , Morrisey M. , and Legates D. , 1995: An examination of the east Pacific ITCZ rainfall distribution. J. Climate, 8 , 2810–2823.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kidd, C., 1998: On rainfall retrieval using polarization-corrected temperatures. Int. J. Remote Sens., 19 , 981–986.

  • Kishtawal, C. M., and Krishnamurti T. N. , 2001: Diurnal variation of summer rainfall over Taiwan and its detection using TRMM observations. J. Appl. Meteor., 40 , 331–344.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kraus, E. B., 1963: The diurnal precipitation change over the sea. J. Atmos. Sci., 20 , 551–556.

  • Kummerow, C., Barnes W. , Kozu T. , Shiu J. , and Simpson J. , 1998: The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) sensor package. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 15 , 809–817.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kummerow, C., and Coauthors, 2000: The status of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) after two years in orbit. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 1965–1982.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kummerow, C., and Coauthors, 2001: The evolution of the Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF) for rainfall estimation from passive microwave sensors. J. Appl. Meteor., 40 , 1801–1820.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Liberti, G., Chéruy F. , and Desbois M. , 2001: Land effect on the diurnal cycle of clouds over the TOGA COARE area, as observed from GMS IR data. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129 , 1500–1517.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Lim, G-H., and Suh A-S. , 2000: Diurnal and semidiurnal variations in the time series of 3-hourly assimilated precipitation by NASA GEOS-1. J. Climate, 13 , 2923–2940.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Lin, X., Randall D. A. , and Fowler L. D. , 2000: Diurnal variability of the hydrologic cycle and radiative fluxes: Comparisons between observations and a GCM. J. Climate, 13 , 4159–4179.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mapes, B. E., and Houze R. A. , 1993: Cloud clusters and superclusters over the oceanic warm pool. Mon. Wea. Rev., 121 , 1398–1416.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Masunaga, H., Iguchi I. , Oki R. , and Kachi M. , 2002: Comparison of rainfall products derived from TRMM Microwave Imager and Precipitation Radar. J. Appl. Meteor., 41 , 849–862.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • McCollum, J., Gruber A. , and Ba M. , 2000: Discrepancy between gauges and satellite estimates of rainfall in equatorial Africa. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 666–679.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • McCollum, J. R., and Ferraro R. R. , 2003: The next generation of NOAA/NESDIS TMI, SSM/I and AMSR-E microwave land rainfall algorithms. J. Geophys. Res., 108 .8382, doi:10.1029/2001JD001512.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Meisner, B. N., and Arkin P. A. , 1987: Spatial and annual variations in the diurnal cycle of large-scale tropical convective cloudiness and precipitation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 115 , 2009–2032.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Meneghini, R., Iguchi T. , Kozu T. , Liao L. , Okamoto K. , Jones J. , and Kwiatkowski J. , 2000: Use of the surface reference technique for path attenuation estimates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 2053–2070.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Negri, A., Bell T. , and Xu L. , 2002: Sampling of the diurnal cycle of precipitation using TRMM. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 19 , 1333–1344.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Negri, A. J., Anagnostou E. N. , and Adler R. F. , 2000: A 10-yr climatology of Amazonian rainfall derived from passive microwave satellite observations. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 42–56.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Nesbitt, S. W., and Zipser E. J. , 2003: The diurnal cycle of rainfall and convective intensity according to three years of TRMM measurements. J. Climate, 16 , 1456–1474.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Panegrossi, G., and Coauthors, 1998: Use of cloud model microphysics for passive microwave-based precipitation retrieval: Significance of consistency between model and measurement manifolds. J. Atmos. Sci., 55 , 1644–1673.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Petersen, W. A., Nesbitt S. , Blakeslee R. J. , Cifelli R. , Hein P. , and Rutledge S. , 2002: TRMM observations of intraseasonal variability in convective regimes over the Amazon. J. Climate, 15 , 1278–1294.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Randall, D. A., Harshvardhan F. , and Dazlich D. , 1991: Diurnal variability of the hydrologic cycle in a General Circulation Model. J. Atmos. Sci., 48 , 40–62.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Schumacher, C., and Houze R. Jr., 2000: Comparison of radar data from the TRMM satellite and Kwajalein oceanic validation site. J. Appl. Meteor., 39 , 2151–2164.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Schumacher, C., and Houze R. A. , 2003: Stratiform rain in the Tropics as seen by the TRMM Precipitation Radar. J. Climate, 16 , 1739–1756.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Serra, Y. L., and McPhaden M. J. , 2003: Multiple time- and space-scale comparisons of ATLAS rain gauge measurements with TRMM satellite precipitation measurements. J. Appl. Meteor., 42 , 1045–1059.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Sharma, A. K., Chang A. T. , and Wilheit T. T. , 1991: Estimation of the diurnal cycle of oceanic precipitation from SSM/I data. Mon. Wea. Rev., 119 , 2168–2175.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Shimizu, S., Oki R. , and Igarashi T. , 2001: Ground validation of radar reflectivity and rain rate retrieved by the TRMM Precipitation Radar. Adv. Space Res., 28 , 143–148.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Shin, D., Chiu L. , and Kafatos M. , 2001: Comparison of monthly precipitation derived from the TRMM satellite. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28 , 795–798.

  • Shin, K-S., North G. R. , Ahn Y-S. , and Arkin P. A. , 1991: Time scales and variability of area-averaged tropical oceanic rainfall. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118 , 1507–1516.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Soden, B. J., 2000: The sensitivity of the tropical hydrological cycle to ENSO. J. Climate, 13 , 538–549.

  • Sorooshian, S., Gao X. , Hsu K. , Maddox R. A. , Hong Y. , Gupta H. V. , and Imam B. , 2002: Diurnal variability of tropical rainfall retrieved from combined GOES and TRMM satellite information. J. Climate, 15 , 983–1001.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Sui, C-H., Lau K-M. , Takayabu Y. N. , and Short D. A. , 1997: Diurnal variations in tropical oceanic cumulus convection during TOGA COARE. J. Atmos. Sci., 54 , 639–655.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Todd, M., Barrett E. , Beaumont M. , and Bellerby T. , 1999: Estimation of daily rainfall over the Upper Nile River Basin using a continuously calibrated satellite infrared technique. Meteor. Appl., 6 , 201–210.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Toracinta, E. R., and Zipser E. J. , 2001: Lightning and SSM/I-ice-scattering mesoscale convective systems in the global Tropics. J. Appl. Meteor., 40 , 983–1002.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Toracinta, E. R., Cecil D. J. , Zipser E. J. , and Nesbitt S. W. , 2002: Radar, passive microwave, and lightning characteristics of precipitating systems in the Tropics. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130 , 802–824.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wilks, D. S., 1995: Statistical Methods in the Atmospheric Sciences: An Introduction. Academic Press, 648 pp.

  • Yang, G. Y., and Slingo J. M. , 2001: The diurnal cycle in the Tropics. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129 , 784–801.

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 794 566 188
PDF Downloads 76 19 0