A Study on the Radar Reflectivity-Snowfall Rate Relation for Yeongdong Heavy Snowfall Events

Abstract

Heavy snowfall events have occurred frequently in the Yeongdong region but understanding of these events have trouble in lack of snowfall observation in this region because it is composed of complex topography like the "Taebaek mountains" and the "East sea". These problems can be solved by quantitative precipitation estimation technique using remote sensing such as radar, satellite, etc. Two radars which are able to cover over Yeondong region were installed at Gangneung (GNG) and Gwangdeoksan (GDK). This study uses radar and water equivalent of snow cover to investigate the characteristics of radar echoes and the Z e -R relations associated with the 10 Yeongdong heavy snowfall events during the last 5 years (2010~2014). It was found that the heights which the probability of detection (POD) of snow detection by GNG radar is more than 80% are 3,000 m and 1,500 m in convective cloud and stratiform cloud, respectively. The vertical gradient of radar reflectivity is less decreased in convective cloud than stratiform cloud. However, POD by GDK radar are lower than 80% at all layers because the majority of Yeondong observational stations are more than 100 km away from GDK radar site. Furthermore, we examined Z e -R relation from the 10 events using GNG radar and compared the "a" and "b" obtained from these examinations at Sokcho (SC) and Daegwallyeong (DG). These "a" and "b" are estimated from radar echo at 500 m (SC) and 1,500 m (DG). The values of "a" differ in their stations such as SC and DG are 30~116 and 6~39, respectively. But "b" is 0.4~1.7 irrespective of stations. Moreover, the value of "a" increased with surface air temperature. Therefore, quantitative precipitation estimation in heavy snowfall events by radar echo using fixed "a" and "b" is difficult because these values changed according to those precipitation characteristics.