Satellite measurements of clouds and precipitation : theoretical basis Introduction Satellite Missions and Instruments Satellite Orbit and Scan Principles of Statistical Mechanics Principles of Electrodynamics and Geometrical Optics General Theory of Radiative Processes Infrared Sensing Visible Near infrared Imaging Microwave Radiometry Active Remote Sensing Mathematical Basis of Retrieval Algorithms Global datasets of clouds and precipitation Satellite Data Simulators. . This book provides a thorough introductory description of the physical principles underlying the satellite remote sensing of clouds and precipitation. A diverse collection of satellite sensors is covered including imagers radars and sounders over a broad spectral range from visible to microwave radiation. The progress in satellite instrument technology during the past two decades as represented by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) CloudSat and Global Measurement Mission (GPM) satellites has drastically improved our capability of measuring clouds and precipitation across the globe. At the same time such rapid progress makes it increasingly challenging for scientists without specialized skills in remote sensing to fully grasp how satellite measurements are being made. This book is designed to mitigate that challenge. The targeted readers are graduate students and professional scientists seeking an extended summary of the theoretical background behind observations from space ranging from fundamental physics (the statistical mechanics and radiative processes for instance) to more practical levels of theory such as retrieval algorithm design.