Abstract
Accurate rain identification using satellite‐based microwave radiometers requires the identification of surfaces having signatures similar to that of rain. This is especially important over land since highly variable surface conditions (such as changing vegetation cover, soil moisture, and snow cover) can result in similar microwave characteristics to that of precipitation. The spectral characteristics of brightness temperature measured by the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) form the basis of a rain classification scheme (Grody, 1991), which is detailed and improved upon in this paper.
