2025 Volume 81 Issue 16 Article ID: 24-16162
Consistent data on cloud and precipitation water content are crucial for initial precipitation forecasts and model evaluation but are extremely scarce. Microwaves, widely used for cloud water observation, interact with cloud and precipitation particles, varying by particle size, phase, and microwave wavelength and polarization. This study evaluates a liquid-phase water content estimation method using Ka band microwave, which is less affected by solid-phase scattering, and explores distinguishing cloud and rain water through synthetic experiments with satellite observations. Results showed that with appropriate cloud top height information allows for reasonable LWP estimation over a wide range of LWP. Additionally, though there are certain limitations in applicability, the polarization difference in brightness temperature is indicated to be effective for distinguishing between cloud and rain, demonstrating its feasibility.
