A study on the Meiyu front using TRMM/PR data during the 1998 GAME/HUBEX

A method is investigated to analyze the structure and the synoptic characteristics of a frontal rain belt according to the combination of TRMM/PR images and conventional weather data during the 1998 GAME/HUBEX. The space-borne precipitation radar (PR) provides some detailed characteristics and inner structures of the frontal rain belt over a large area, and the synoptic analysis for this frontal case is also presented. It is demonstrated that the traditional theories of radar meteorology are still applicable, while PR has great advantages for showing the spatial distribution of rainfall and has potential value for analyzing the characteristics of the Meiyu front.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]