Alphasat Q/V-band propagation: A heuristic approach for rainy events detection

A heuristic algorithm based on two threshold values of a scalar indicator, given by the ratio of the brightness temperatures measured by a ground-based radiometer at 31.4 and 23.8 GHz, is employed to detect the presence, if any, of rain events along the Earth to satellite propagation path in the framework of the Alphasat Aldo Paraboni Propagation Experiment. The promising preliminary results have single out the need of a finer identification of the initial and final time of the event toward the prediction of the rain contribution to the total tropospheric attenuation.