Generalized parametric prediction model of the mean radiative temperature for microwave slant paths in all-weather condition

The mean radiative temperature (Tmr) is a key function controlling the sky noise temperature in microwave receiving systems. A generalized parametric prediction (GPP) model of Tmr for microwave slant paths in all-weather conditions is formulated and presented. The proposed GPP model is aimed at being multifrequency and surface-temperature scaled, valid for elevation angles from 5° to 90° and for frequencies ranging from 5 to 95 GHz within the three transmission windows delimited by the water vapor and the oxygen absorption peaks. The core of the GPP model is a parametrization driven by a physically based radiative transfer approach taking into account extinction, emission, and multiple scattering. The expression of Tmr is normalized to the surface temperature of the considered site. The GPP model is verified with measurements available from the multiinstrument Italian Satellite (ITALSAT) campaign in Spino d'Adda, Milan, Italy, in 1994-1997, obtaining a fractional mean error ranging from 0.045 to 0.068. A comparison of the GPP model with the current ITU-R model shows a reduction in the root mean square error up to about 20 and 30 K, depending on the considered frequency.