Optimal grid resolution for precipitation maps from commercial microwave link networks

Abstract. High-resolution precipitation observation based on signal attenuation in a Commercial Microwave Link (CML) network is an emerging technique that is becoming more and more used. Commonly, the raw data – line measurements from successive time steps – are mapped onto a grid to estimate precipitation fields with a full spatio-temporal coverage. Assuming the CML-estimated precipitation to be accurate, the attainable resolutions in time and space are primarily dependent on two factors: (i) the spatial distribution of the link network and (ii) the spatial correlation properties of the precipitation. Here we outline a pragmatic method for estimating the optimal resolution based on variogram analysis. The method is demonstrated using a CML network and a representative variogram in Stockholm, Sweden. Conceivable applications include preliminary investigations in cities considering starting CML-based precipitation observations.