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Acoustic Measurement of Rainfall:

One of the outstanding measurement problems in understanding global climate today is accurate, wide-area measurement of rainfall over the world's oceans. Although significant progress has been made in satellite measurement of rainfall, little progress has been made in developing in situ measurement systems to independently measure rainfall to thereby validate and confirm satellite results. A promising technology for open ocean measurement of rainfall is underwater sound. When a raindrop falls upon the ocean's surface, it creates a pulse of sound within the ocean. By measuring these pulses of sound, much information regarding the rainfall can be obtained. The Remote Sensing Division at AOML is currently carrying out projects that use state-of-the-art underwater sound listening systems in order to advance rainfall measurements taken over the ocean. A description of recent results of acoustic classification of rainfall as to type, i.e. convective or stratiform, is presented in the September 1997 issue of Monthly Weather Review.