Snowfall Detection by Spaceborne Radars

Hamada, Atsushi; Iguchi, Toshio; Takayabu, Yukari N.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-35798-6_13

Atsushi Hamada¹¹,
Toshio Iguchi¹² &
Yukari N. Takayabu¹³

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 69))

1280 Accesses
1 Citations

Abstract

Algorithms to determine the thermodynamic phase state of precipitation observed from spaceborne radar are provided in this section. After briefly describing the classical methods to determine the thermodynamic phase of precipitation at the surface, some advanced methods to separate solid precipitation regions from liquid precipitation regions in the vertical profiles of radar measurements are described.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Chapter: USD 29.95; Price excludes VAT (USA)

eBook: USD 139.00; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Softcover Book: USD 179.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Hardcover Book: USD 179.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Adhikari, A., Liu, C., & Kulie, M. S. (2018). Global distribution of snow precipitation features and their properties from 3 years of GPM observations. Journal of Climate, 31, 3731–3754. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0012.1.
Article Google Scholar
Aonashi, K., Awaka, J., Hirose, M., Kozu, T., Kubota, T., Liu, G., Shige, S., Kida, S., Seto, S., Takahashi, N., & Takayabu, Y. N. (2009). GSMaP passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithm: Algorithm description and validation. Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, 87A, 119–136. https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.87A.119.
Article Google Scholar
Behrangi, A., Lebsock, M., Wong, S., & Lambrigtsen, B. (2012). On the quantification of oceanic rainfall using spaceborne sensors. Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, D20105. https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JD017979.
Article Google Scholar
Behrangi, A., Tian, Y., Lambrigtsen, B. H., & Stephens, G. L. (2014). What does CloudSat reveal about global land precipitation detection by other spaceborne sensors? Water Resources Research, 50, 4893–4905. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013WR014566.
Article Google Scholar
Bonsignori, R. (2007). The microwave humidity sounder (MHS): In-orbit performance assessment. In S. Habib et al. (Eds.), Sensors, systems, and next-generation satellites XI (International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE proceedings)) (Vol. 6744, p. 67440A). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.737986.
Chapter Google Scholar
Casella, D., Panegrossi, G., Sanò, P., Marra, A. C., Dietrich, S., Johnson, B. T., & Kulie, M. S. (2017). Evaluation of the GPM-DPR snowfall detection capability: Comparison with CloudSat-CPR. Atmospheric Research, 197, 64–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.06.018.
Article Google Scholar
Field, P. R., & Heymsfield, A. J. (2015). Importance of snow to global precipitation. Geophysical Research Letters, 42, 9512–9520. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065497.
Article Google Scholar
Fuchs, T., Rapp, J., Rubel, F., & Rudolf, B. (2001). Correction of synoptic precipitation observations due to systematic measuring errors with special regard to precipitation phases. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth (B), 26, 689–693. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1464-1909(01)00070-3.
Article Google Scholar
Hamada, A., & Takayabu, Y. N. (2016). Improvements in detection of light precipitation with the global precipitation measurement dual-frequency precipitation radar (GPM DPR). Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 33, 653–667. https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0097.1.
Article Google Scholar
Hou, A. Y., Kakar, R. K., Neeck, S., Azarbarzin, A. A., Kummerow, C. D., Kojima, M., Oki, R., Nakamura, K., & Iguchi, T. (2014). The global precipitation measurement Mission. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 95, 701–722. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00164.1.
Article Google Scholar
Houze, R. A., Jr. (1993). Cloud dynamics (International geophysics series) (Vol. 53, 2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Academic. 496 pp, ISBN: 9780080921464.
Google Scholar
Iguchi, T., Seto, S., Meneghini, R., Yoshida, N., Awaka, J., Le, M., Chandrasekar, V., & Kubota, T. (2017). GPM/DPR level-2 algorithm theoretical basis document, 68 pp. Available at http: //www.eorc.jaxa.jp/GPM/doc/algorithm/ATBD_DPR_201708_whole_1.pdf. Last accessed 6 Dec 2018.
Iguchi, T., Kawamoto, N., & Oki, R. (2018). Detection of intense ice precipitation with GPM/DPR. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 35, 491–502. https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-17-0120.1.
Article Google Scholar
Kojima, M., Miura, T., Furukawa, K., Hyakusoku, Y., Ishikiri, T., Kai, H., Iguchi, T., Hanado, H., & Nakagawa, K. (2012). Dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) development on the global precipitation measurement (GPM) core observatory. In H. Shimoda et al. (Eds.), Earth observing missions and sensors: Development, implementation, and characterization II (International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE Proceedings)) (Vol. 8528, p. 85281A). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.976823.
Chapter Google Scholar
Kulie, M. S., Milani, L., Wood, N. B., Tushaus, S. A., Bennartz, R., & L’Ecuyer, T. S. (2016). A shallow cumuliform snowfall census using spaceborne radar. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 17, 1261–1279. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-15-0123.1.
Article Google Scholar
Le, M., & Chandrasekar, V. (2013). Hydrometeor profile characterization method for dual-frequency precipitation radar onboard the GPM. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 51, 3648–3658. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2012.2224352.
Article Google Scholar
Le, M., Chandrasekar, V., & Biswas, S. (2017). An algorithm to identify surface snowfall from GPM DPR observations. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 55, 4059–4071. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2017.2687420.
Article Google Scholar
Legates, D. R., & Willmott, C. J. (1990). Mean seasonal and spatial variability in gauge-corrected, global precipitation. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 10, 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.3370100202.
Article Google Scholar
Liao, L., & Meneghini, R. (2011). A study on the feasibility of dual wavelength radar for identification of hydrometeor phases. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 50, 449–294. https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JAMC2499.1.
Article Google Scholar
Liu, G. (2008). Deriving snow cloud characteristics from CloudSat observations. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, D00A09. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JD009766.
Article Google Scholar
Liu, C., Zipser, E. J., Cecil, D. J., Nesbitt, S. W., & Sherwood, S. (2008). A cloud and precipitation feature database from nine years of TRMM observations. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 47, 2712–2728. https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JAMC1890.1.
Article Google Scholar
Mülmenstädt, J., Sourdeval, O., Delanoë, J., & Quaas, J. (2015). Frequency of occurrence of rain from liquid-, mixed-, and ice-phase clouds derived from A-train satellite retrievals. Geophysical Research Letters, 42, 6502–6509. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL064604.
Article Google Scholar
Schneider, U., Becker, A., Finger, P., Meyer-Christoffer, A., Ziese, M., & Rudolf, B. (2014). GPCC’s new land surface precipitation climatology based on quality-controlled in situ data and its role in quantifying the global water cycle. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 115, 15–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-013-0860-x.
Article Google Scholar
Sims, E. M., & Liu, G. (2015). A parameterization of the probability of snow-rain transition. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 16, 1466–1477. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-14-0211.1.
Article Google Scholar
Skofronick-Jackson, G., Johnson, B. T., & Munchak, S. J. (2013). Detection thresholds of falling snow from satellite-borne active and passive sensors. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 51, 4177–4189. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2012.2227763.
Article Google Scholar
Stephens, G. L., Vane, D. G., Tanelli, S., Im, E., Rokey, M., Reinke, D., Partain, P., Mace, G. G., Austin, R., L’Ecuyer, J. T., Haynes, M., Lebsock, K., Suzuki, D., Waliser, D. W., Kay, J., Gettelman, A., Wang, Z., & Marchand, R. (2008). The CloudSat mission: Performance and early science after the first year of operation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, D00A18. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JD009982.
Article Google Scholar
Tanelli, S., Durden, S. L., Im, E., Pak, K. S., Reinke, D. G., Partain, P., Haynes, J. M., & Marchand, R. T. (2008). CloudSat’s cloud profiling radar after two years in orbit: Performance, calibration, and processing. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 46, 3560–3573. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2008.2002030.
Article Google Scholar
Toyoshima, K., Masunaga, H., & Furuzawa, F. A. (2015). Early evaluation of Ku- and Ka-band sensitivities for the global precipitation measurement (GPM) dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR). SOLA, 11, 14–17. https://doi.org/10.2151/sola.2015-004.
Article Google Scholar
Yasutomi, N., Hamada, A., & Yatagai, A. (2011). Development of a long-term daily gridded temperature dataset and its application to rain/snow discrimination of daily precipitation. Global Environmental Research, 15, 165–172. Available at http: //www.airies.or.jp/attach.php/6a6f75726e616c5f31352d32656e67/save/0/0/15_2-10.pdf. Last accessed 5 Apr 2019.
Google Scholar
Yatagai, A., Kamiguchi, K., Arakawa, O., Hamada, A., Yasutomi, N., & Kitoh, A. (2012). APHRODITE: Constructing a long-term daily gridded precipitation dataset for Asia based on a dense network of rain gauges. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93, 1401–1415. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00122.1.
Article Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Faculty of Sustainable Design, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
Atsushi Hamada
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Koganei, Japan
Toshio Iguchi
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
Yukari N. Takayabu

Authors

Atsushi Hamada
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Toshio Iguchi
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Yukari N. Takayabu
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Atsushi Hamada .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

CNR-ISAC, Bologna, Italy
Vincenzo Levizzani
Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Christopher Kidd
Code 617, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Dalia B. Kirschbaum
Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Christian D. Kummerow
Department of Economics on Sustainability, Dokkyo University, Saitama, Japan
Kenji Nakamura
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
F. Joseph Turk

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hamada, A., Iguchi, T., Takayabu, Y.N. (2020). Snowfall Detection by Spaceborne Radars. In: Levizzani, V., Kidd, C., Kirschbaum, D., Kummerow, C., Nakamura, K., Turk, F. (eds) Satellite Precipitation Measurement. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 69. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35798-6_13

Download citation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35798-6_13
Published: 15 April 2020
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-35797-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-35798-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics