Microwave Brightness Temperatures from Tilted Convective Systems

Aircraft and ground-based radar data from the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment show that convective systems are not always vertical. Instead, many are tilted from vertical. Satellite passive microwave radiometers observe the atmosphere at an oblique angle. For example, the Special Sensor Microwave Imager on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites and the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) on the TRMM satellite view at an incident angle of about 50. Thus, the brightness temperature measured from one direction of tilt may be different than that viewed from the opposite direction because of the different optical path. This paper presents an investigation of passive microwave brightness temperatures upwelling from tilted convective systems.