Dear Colleagues,

The observation of regional and global precipitation has improved considerably in the last few decades with the worldwide implementation of dedicated weather radar networks and satellite missions. Specifically, this includes the Tropical Rain Fall Measurement Mission (TRMM) and its successor Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), but new techniques of analyzing other satellite products have also contributed to advances in the field. Yet, there is still a gap to fill between the local scale represented by traditional point measurements and the large scale of remotely sensed data. The methodological challenge remains to identify, understand and compensate the characteristics of the different sensors employed for each task. This is not only with regard to precipitation amounts, but also considering the microphysical characteristics of precipitation, processes and dynamics of cloud and rain formation and the hydrological and socio-economic impact of the high temporal and spatial variability of precipitation.

Another open question in this field of research is the impact of global environmental and climate change. While for air temperature the temporal trend is quite obvious, for precipitation the issue is much more complex and there are contrasting hypotheses of increasing or decreasing rainfall, increases in extreme events or changes in precipitation characteristics and spatial distribution.

Bringing together the data of ground-based precipitation radars with space-borne sensors is an urgent topic and the main aim of this Special Issue. Special importance is given to research considering longer time periods and/or detailed analyses of precipitation events with a combined set of sensors, unraveling the strengths and limitations of each individual approach. Studies contributing new and unpublished datasets from around the world are also welcome, specifically when regions are covered where data availability has been low in the past.

Suggested themes and article types for submissions.

Research articles:

- Studies of precipitation calibration and validation for quantity, areal extension, microphysics and dynamic development of rain events.

- Studies of drought and extreme precipitation from the satellite and/or ground-based radar perspective.

Reviews:

- Long-term analyses of data quality and temporal trends from satellite retrievals and ground-based radar.

- Development of technology, methodology and data availability of satellite and ground-based radar.

Technical Notes:

- Proposals of new sensor and/or instrument types.

- Innovative  methodological advances including machine learning techniques and/or computer vision.

Communication:

- Reporting recent events of unusual precipitation characteristics with limited temporal scope observed by satellite and/or radar.

- Setup of new sensor networks and projects aiming at improving the integration of satellite and ground-based radar data.

Dr. Ruetger Rollenbeck
Guest Editor

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• satellite precipitation retrieval
• weather radar
• integrated sensor networks
• sensor calibration
• extreme events
• precipitation dynamics