Dual Wavelength, Dual Polarized Radar System for Gpm Ground Validation Experiments

Precipitation affects the daily lives and economic wealth of the citizens of United States and elsewhere. Obtaining quantitative measurements of precipitation on a global scale has been identified by NASA, the USWRP and other government organizations as essential to improving our ability to forecast and understand weather events [1]. Launched in 1997, the Precipitation Radar (PR) aboard the Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was the first precipitation radar flown in space [2]. This single frequency radar operating at 13.8 GHz has been highly reliable and has generated a wealth of information on the spatial distribution, variability and intensity of rainfall. However, its ability to accurately estimate rainfall is limited because it measures only a single parameter, reflectivity factor (Z).