Quantitative precipitation estimation from satellite observations

The estimation of precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) derived from satellite sensors is now an integral part of monitoring the Earth system. The main advantage of using Earth observation datasets for precipitation estimation is the global perspective that satellites provide. Techniques using these data have exploited a range of satellite systems and their sensors with different, but complementary, frequencies/wavelengths to provide timely precipitation products to the user community. This chapter outlines the fundamentals of satellite precipitation estimation, the satellites and sensors used, the range of techniques and schemes to convert the observations into precipitation products, together with the validation of the precipitation products themselves.