| The
automatic near real
time operational chain for rain estimation processes MSG infrared
(IR) and SSM/I Microwave (MW) data. It merges the advantages of space
resolution and refresh time of MSG data with rainfall estimation
sensitivity of SSM/I observations.
This procedure essentially starts
building a kind of Look-Up Table (algorithm developed by J.turk at the Naval
Research Laboratory), in order to match brightness
temperature measured by MSG with corresponding (i.e. space-time
co-located) rain rates retrieved by SSM/I MW observations (NOAA-NESDIS Ferraro's algorithm).
SSM/I data (i.e. seven MW channels), when available, trig
the Look-Up
Table updating.
Each about 15 minutes in
turn rain map updating is triggered by a new MSG image:
precipitation is evaluated converting the brightness temperature of
the MSG IR image pixels in rain rates, by means of the last
updated Look-Up Table.
This SERVICE must be
considered experimental because test and validation are still in
progress.
This work has been developed in the framework of the EURAINSAT
project (contract EVG1-2000-00030), partially funded by the Research DG
of the European Commission and RAM project (Research Applied to Meteorology)
carried out by the Gruppo Nazionale per la Difesa dalle Catastrofi
Idrogeologiche (GNDCI) of the Italian National Research Council.
SSM/I data are from CLASS (Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship
System) of NOAA.
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