Detectable rain range of spaceborne Ka-band radar estimated from TRMM precipitation radar data

A 14/ 35- GHz dual- wavelength radar is expected to be one of the next- generation spaceborne rain radars. The effect of rain attenuation at higher- frequency (35 GHz) radar with different minimum sensitivities was investigated through simulation. Based on the data taken by a single- wavelength (13.8 GHz) precipitation radar (PR) on board the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, the frequency distribution of the received power of the shorter- wavelength radar was first calculated through simulation. If the receiver minimum noise threshold is equivalent to about 10 dBZ, the missing fraction of near- surface rain due to attenuation degrading the signal below the noise threshold is about 15% over land and 3% over ocean compared to the PR.