This book offers a complete overview of the measurement of precipitation from space, which has made considerable advancements during the last two decades. This is mainly due to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, CloudSat and a carefully maintained constellation of satellites hosting passive microwave sensors. The book revisits a previous book, Measuring Precipitation from Space, edited by V. Levizzani, P. Bauer and F. J. Turk, published with Springer in 2007. The current content has been completely renewed to incorporate the advancements of science and technology in the field since then. This book provides unique contributions from field experts and from the International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG). The book will be of interest to meteorologists, hydrologists, climatologists, water management authorities, students at various levels and many other parties interested in making use of satellite precipitation data sets. Chapter “TAMSAT” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

A primary aim of the NATO Science Committee since its estab lishment in 1958 has been to· further international scientific co operation among scientists from the member countries of the Alliance. Almost all fields of basic science have received sub stantial support for the purposes of enhancing exchange of inform ation, providing opportunities for advanced instruction and collaborative research. Up to 1977, more than 10,000 fellowships have been awarded to allow scientists to complete their scientific education in another country and more than 1,500 joint research projects involving scientists in at least two different countries per project have been financed by the Committee. In addition, more than 800 advanced study institutes have been held under NATO auspices which have allowed more than sixty thousand scientists to get together to hear leading scientists lecture on advanced research topics on the frontier of research of many disciplines and to discuss the most recent results of their research activi ties. The Science Committee also identifies specific areas as deserving special encouragement or preferential support for limited periods. A variety of mechanisms - research grants, study visits, conferences, etc. - is utilized to stimulate greater international activity. This effort is embodied in several individual programmes, each guided by a special programme panel of internationally eminent experts. Air-sea interaction is one of these programmes.

This volume addresses the physical foundation of remote sensing. The basic grounds are presented in close association with the kinds of environmental targets to monitor and with the observing techniques. The book aims at plugging the quite large gap between the thorough and quantitative description of electromagnetic waves interacting with the Earth's environment and the user applications of Earth observation. It is intended for scientifically literate students and professionals who plan to gain a first understanding of remote sensing data and of their information content.

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