Characteristics of Backscattering Coefficients over Different Vegetation Land Covers Derived from TRMM/PR

[ABSTRACT]The characteristics of backscattering coefficients ( cr0 ) observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) / Precipitation Radar (PR) were investigated,for different vegetation covers; evergreen broadleaf forests ( ebf), woody savannas, savannas, open shrublands, and grasslands in Africa. For ebf, cr0 decreases rapidly from nadir to 3 °, then the rest of the angles are constant. On the other hand, cr0 gradually decreases from nadir to 17° for savannas, open shrublands, and grasslands. For woody savannas, cr0 value for each angle bin in the dry season is similar to that for savannas, but the characteristics of cr0 in the rainy season is similar to that for ebf. The maximum monthly mean precipitation corresponds to that of cr0 at nadir and 17° for grasslands and savannas. For grasslands, cr0 at 3 ° does not increase that is likely to be saturated from the dry season to the rainy season when Leaf Are Index (LAI) is more than 0.5. Seasonal variations of cr0 do not clearly correspond to that of precipitation for ebf where LAI is more than 3. It implies that cr0 at 3° is susceptible to vegetation canopy. It suggests that the combination of 3 ° and 17° of cr0 enable to classify vegetation land covers.