Rain Rate Estimates from Differential Polarization Measurements
- 1 December 1987
- journal article
- Published by American Meteorological Society in Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
- Vol. 4 (4) , 588-598
- https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(1987)004<0588:rrefdp>2.0.co;2
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of the accuracy of rain rate estimates from data observed with a radar that has alternating horizontal and vertical polarization. Theoretical accuracies of rain rates from the reflectivity, the differential reflectivity and the differential propagation phase shift are considered via-a-vis the drop size distribution (DSD) variability, using a computer simulation procedure. First measurements of the differential propagation phase shift have been provided by the National Severe Storms Laboratory's dual-polarized radar, in addition to the reflectivity and the differential reflectivity. An examination of the radar data has revealed factors that could affect the rain rate estimates to a greater extent than the often contended DSD variability in the case of differential reflectivity method. Errors caused by sidelobe contamination significantly affect the differential phase shift data, so that a large spatial scale averaging is required to obtain reasonably accurate rain r... Abstract This paper presents an analysis of the accuracy of rain rate estimates from data observed with a radar that has alternating horizontal and vertical polarization. Theoretical accuracies of rain rates from the reflectivity, the differential reflectivity and the differential propagation phase shift are considered via-a-vis the drop size distribution (DSD) variability, using a computer simulation procedure. First measurements of the differential propagation phase shift have been provided by the National Severe Storms Laboratory's dual-polarized radar, in addition to the reflectivity and the differential reflectivity. An examination of the radar data has revealed factors that could affect the rain rate estimates to a greater extent than the often contended DSD variability in the case of differential reflectivity method. Errors caused by sidelobe contamination significantly affect the differential phase shift data, so that a large spatial scale averaging is required to obtain reasonably accurate rain r...Keywords
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