This dissertation concerns the development of an improved algorithm for the inter-satellite radiometric calibration (XCAL) for cross track scanning microwave radiometers in support of NASA\u27s Global Precipitation Mission (GPM). This research extends previous XCAL work to assess the robustness of the CFRSL double difference technique for sounder X-CAL. In this work, using a two-year of observations, we present a statistical analysis of radiometric biases performed over time and viewing geometry. In theory, it is possible to apply the same X-CAL procedure developed for conical-scanning radiometers to cross-track scanners; however the implementation is generally more tedious. For example, with the cross-track scan angle, there is a strong response in the observed Tb due to changes in the atmosphere slant path and surface emissivity with the Earth incidence angle. For ocean scenes this is trivial; however for land scenes there is imperfect knowledge of polarized emissivity. However, for the sounder channels the surface emissivity is not the dominant component of top-of-the-atmosphere Tb, which is a mitigating factor. Also, cross-track scanners introduce changes in the radiometer antenna observed polarization with scan angle. The resulting observation is a mixture of un-polarized atmospheric emissions and vertical and horizontal polarized surface emissions. The degree of polarization mixing is known from geometry; however, reasonable estimates of the surface emissivity are required, which complicate over land comparisons. Finally, the IFOV size monotonically increases over the cross-track scan. Thus, when inter-comparing cross-track scanning radiometers, it will be necessary to carefully consider these effects when performing the double difference procedure
