A TRMM-Calibrated infrared technique for rainfall estimation: application on rain events over eastern Mediterranean

摘要

The aim is to evaluate the use of a satellite infrared (IR) technique forestimating rainfall over the eastern Mediterranean. TheConvective-Stratiform Technique (CST), calibrated by coincident, physicallyretrieved rain rates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)Precipitation Radar (PR), is applied over the Eastern Mediterranean for fourrain events during the six month period of October 2004 to March 2005.Estimates from this technique are verified over a rain gauge network fordifferent time scales. Results show that PR observations can be applied toimprove IR-based techniques significantly in the conditions of a regionalscale area by selecting adequate calibration areas and periods. They reveal,however, the limitations of infrared remote sensing techniques, originallydeveloped for tropical areas, when applied to precipitation retrievals inmid-latitudes.