A multicomponent radar rainfall estimation algorithm
and a method of its parameter estimation are presented.
Their practical implementation provide statistically and
physically based tools for ground validation of the
space-based rainfall estimates. They also create an excellent base for systematic studies of climatological and
operational radar rainfall estimation schemes and for
their intercomparison. Several features make our approach distinct from other algorithms known from the
literature. It cannot be represented simply in terms of
applying an arbitraryZ–Rrelationship. The procedure
is formulated in terms of a multiparameter statistical
model where distance from radar is treated as one of
the continuous estimation predictors. This can be easily
extended to include more rainfall predictors.