Rainfall profile retrieval through spaceborne rain radars utilising a sea surface NRCS model

Vertical rainfall profile retrieval over the sea surface, based on reflectivity data collected by spaceborne radars, can be improved through existing algorithms that exploit estimates of the power backscattered from that surface. However, prediction errors of the sea surface normalised radar cross-section (NRCS) may significantly affect the performance of such algorithms. This is the first point highlighted in the paper, referring to the Ku band. Consequently, the authors propose the utilisation of an electromagnetic model able to predict with acceptable accuracy the sea surface NRCS under the joint effect of wind- and rainfall-induced corrugation. The core of the paper is the description of an improved algorithm for rainfall rate vertical profile retrieval over the sea surface in the case of a single frequency, nadir-looking radars and the discussion of some simulation results