The program rgmin generates 1-minute hourly rain rates from discrete tipping bucket rain gauge data by applying an interpolation algorithm. The interpolating routine is based on the cubic spline routine published in the book "Numerical Recipes". The mathematical theory underlying this algorithm is presented in section 3.3 of the book along with a copy of the source code. The mathematics involved will not be described in any detail, rather the spline will be described in context with its application to the broader algorithm being applied in rgmin.
A key component of the TRMM project is the Ground Validation (GV) effort which consists of collecting data from ground-based radar, rain gauges and disdrometers. The data is quality-controlled, and then validation products are produced for comparison with TRMM satellite products.
The four primary GV sites are:
- Darwin, Australia;
- Houston, Texas;
- Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands;
- Melbourne, Florida.
A significant effort is also being supported at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) and vicinity to provide high quality, long-term measurements of rain rates (via a network of rain gauges collocated with National Weather Service gauges), as well as drop size distributions (DSD) using a variety of instruments, including impact-type Joss Waldvogel, laser-optical Parsivel, as well as two-dimensional video disdrometers. DSD measurements are also being collected at Melbourne and Kwajalein using Joss-Waldvogel disdrometers.