Freezing height distribution in the tropics

The calculation of fade margins required to meet the user-specified availability criteria needs to take into consideration a number of meteorological factors specific to the earth-station location. One such factor is the annual average of the freezing level height. Information on this height is available in ITU-R Recommendation P. 839-3, which provides contours that are generated on a 1.5degrees by 1.5degrees latitude by longitude resolution grid. This paper compares these heights with the bright-band heights (BBH) obtained from the precipitation radar on-board the TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) satellite. Four years of TRMM radar data have been analysed, and their averages are compared within the latitude range covered by the satellite orbit (35degreesN to 35degreesS). Comparisons show that the radar bright-band heights typically occur 300 m below the 0degreesC isotherm heights. However, results also indicate that this difference may be latitude dependent. Also examined are the year-to-year variability and the seasonal variation. In the former case, only 1998 showed BBH values which are somewhat higher in tropical regions, this year having had one of the strongest El Nino events recorded. In the latter case, results show significant seasonal variation, becoming more pronounced at higher latitudes. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.