available to constrain the present and proposed satellite estimates needed to fill out the rainfall picture to the satisfaction of even more of the expanding user community, including some, at least, of the growing ranks of mesoclimatologists. Thus my line of argument was more consistent than some may have believed, and is consistent with other statements I have made elsewhere (Barrett, 1977 and 1982). Of course, I also recognize the problems which remain-for global climate modellers-over the other 90 per cent of the surface of the Earth. Fortunately the promise of microwave radiometry-first passive, then later, we hope, active-is greatest over sea surfaces. Therefore, as I see it, the most realistic medium-term solution to the global problem as a whole probably lies in an inter-digitation of conventional data and the evidence of visible and infrared imagery over land areas, plus a complementary mapping of rainfall intensities from passive microwave data, Mesoscale monitoring over sea surfaces, and the pin-pointing and evaluation of higher intensity rains over land will surely continue to be less accurate further into the future.
I should conclude by saying that, as many know, I am an enthusiast for satellite rainfall monitoring. I think my own enthusiasm for this matches that of Atlas and Thiele, though our particular concerns and emphases differ. Unfortunately not everyone identifies with us in our common endeavours. Consequently I wished, in my Review Article, to signal to the agnostic the healthy scepticism and disrespect which we who work in this area have for our concepts and accomplishments to the present time. Re-reading it after a gap of 9 months I am sure that such sentiments should have been tempered by a sincere vote of appreciation to the NASA Workshop organizers for conceiving and staging a true 'milepost' event. I believe that it will have signally and positively influenced the future of precipitation monitoring by satellite.
In the meantime, I am sure that the debates which it prompted will, with profit, snowball on: discussion and controversy are lubricants of the wheels of advancement in science.