Infrared Rainfall Estimates Using the Probability Matching Method Applied to Coincident SSM/I and GMS-5 Data

Relations between GMS-5 infrared brightness temperature with SSM/I retrieved rain rate are determined by a probability matching method similar to Atlas et al. and Crosson et al. For this study, coincident data sets of the GMS-5 infrared measurements and SSM/I data during two summer seasons of 1997 and 1998 are constructed. The cumulative density functions (CDFs) of infrared brightness temperature and rain rate are matched at pairs of two variables which give the same percentile contribution. The method was applied for estimating rain rate on 31 July 1998, examining heavy rainfall estimation of a flash flood event over Mt. Jiri. Results were compared with surface gauge observations run by Korean Meteorological Administration. It was noted that the method produced reasonably good quality of rain estimate, however, there was large area giving false rain due to the anvil type clouds surrounding deep convective clouds. Extensive validation against surface rain observation is currently under investigation.