Microphysical retrievals from simultaneous polarimetric and profiling radar observations
The character of precipitation detected at the surface is the final product of many microphysical interactions in the cloud above, the combined effects of which may be characterized by the observed drop size distribution (DSD). This necessitates accurate retrieval of the DSD from remote sensing d...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2009-12-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/27/4435/2009/angeo-27-4435-2009.pdf |
| Summary: | The character of precipitation detected at the surface is the final product
of many microphysical interactions in the cloud above, the combined effects
of which may be characterized by the observed drop size distribution (DSD).
This necessitates accurate retrieval of the DSD from remote sensing data,
especially radar as it offers large areal coverage, high spatial resolution,
and rigorous quality control and testing. Combined instrument observations
with a UHF wind profiler, an S-band polarimetric weather radar, and a video
disdrometer are analyzed for two squall line events occuring during the
calendar year 2007. UHF profiler Doppler velocity spectra are used to
estimate the DSD aloft, and are complemented by DSDs retrieved from an
exponential model applied to polarimetric data. Ground truth is provided by
the disdrometer. A complicating factor in the retrieval from UHF profiler
spectra is the presence of ambient air motion, which can be corrected using
the method proposed by Teshiba et al.
(2009), in which a comparison between
idealized Doppler spectra calculated from the DSDs retrieved from KOUN and
those retrieved from contaminated wind profiler spectra is performed. It is
found that DSDs measured using the distrometer at the surface and estimated
using the wind profiler and polarimetric weather radar generally showed good
agreement. The DSD retrievals using the wind profiler were improved when the
estimates of the vertical wind were included into the analysis, thus
supporting the method of Teshiba et al.
(2009). Furthermore, the the study
presents a method of investigating the time and height structure of DSDs. |
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| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |