Current AMSR-E precipitation algorithms, as well as other global precipitation products, tend to agree over the tropical oceans, where atoll rain gauge validation data and/or TRMM PR data have been available for some time. But they diverge sharply over middle and high latitude oceans, where quantitative validation has been largely non-existent. The main thrust of this proposal is the careful evaluation of over a dozen extratropical islands as potential validation sites for monthly oceanic precipitation. In addition, we will develop and demonstrate the use of routine shipboard synoptic weather reports for direct validation of algorithm skill at high latitudes. Finally, we seek support for the continued refinement of the PI's ocean precipitation algorithm, based in part on the results of the first two objectives.
