ABSTRACT

Raindrops imping onto the ocean surface, they generated ring waves and splash products as well as turbulence in the upper water layer. Moreover, raindrops in the atmosphere also cause volume scattering and attenuation of the radar beam. In this chapter, we present the scattering mechanisms causing the radar signatures of rain over the ocean, based on the analysis of multi-frequency and multi-polarization synthetic aperture radar rain cell observations and numerical modeling of rain on radar backscatter from the ocean. Furthermore, the rain effects on the scatterometer and SAR wind retrieval are also summarized. Having a better understanding of rain effect on radar backscattering from the ocean would be a benefit when distinguishing rain cells from radar signatures of other mesoscale or submesoscale atmospheric and oceanic phenomena. It would also help to improve wind-speed retrieval accuracy.