Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) Project homepage

The TRMM spacecraft carries a number of sensors to measure rain over the tropical ocean and land. Dr. David Long and Mike Spencer are Science Team Investigators for the TRMM project. Their proposal is to use scatterometer data to validate TRMM data and TRMM rain measurements to study the effects of rain on scatterometer measurements. They have also been using TRMM surface sigma-0 data to cross calibrate NSCAT, TRMM, and Topex.

Some Sample Recent Results

The BYU Scatterometer Image Reconstruction w/Filtering (SIRF) resolution enhancement algorithm has been adapted for use with TRMM results. Figure 1 shows a sample SIRF-produced image from TRMM Precipitation (TRMMPR) surface sigma-0 data. This image shows the incidence angle normalized sigma-0 at an 11 deg incidence angle. (The image has been subsampled to make it easier to view--the actual image is 16 times larger and has a pixel resolution of 1 km.) In this image, the Amazon and its flood channels are clearly visible. Urban areas show up as very bright points. (San Paulo is at the lower right edge of the coast.)

Selected related MERS papers

• M.P. Owen and D.G. Long, "Progress Toward Validation of QuikSCAT Ultra-High-Resolution Rain Rates Using TRMM PR," Proceedings of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Vol. IV, pp. 299-302, Boston, MA, doi:10.1109/IGARSS.2008.4779717, 6-11 Jul., 2008.
• H. Stephen and D.G. Long, "Multi-spectral Analysis of the Amazon Basin using SeaWinds, ERS, Seasat Scatterometers, TRMM-PR and SSM/I," Proceedings of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, pp. 1780-1782, Toronto, Canada, doi:10.1109/IGARSS.2002.1026252, 24-28 June 2002.
• D.W. Draper and D.G. Long, "Simulation of SeaWinds Measurements in the Presence of Rain Using Collocated TRMM PR Data," Proceedings of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, pp. 1828-1830, Toronto, Canada, doi:10.1109/IGARSS.2002.1026268, 24-28 June 2002.
• D.G. Long, "Comparison of TRMM and NSCAT Observations of Surface Backscatter Over the Amazon Rainforest," Proceedings of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, pp. 1879-1881, Seattle, Washington, doi:10.1109/IGARSS.1998.703682, 6-10 July, 1998.