Rainfall observations and assessment using vertically pointing radar and X-band radar

Abstract

Two years of K-Band micro rain radar-2 (MRR) data are used to investigate the vertical variability of rain in an atmospheric column and assess MRR rainfall estimates accuracy from both direct rainfall measurement using the Mie Theory (i.e., MRR RR) and a Z-R relationship (Z = 300 R1.4) (i.e., MRR Rz). Two different height resolutions (HR) settings are used. A nearby Doppler weather radar KEWX (S-band) using the same Z-R relationship is found to underestimate rainfall by up to 32.2%, while MRR estimates are much closer to collocated gauge measurements. For the first three gates, MRR RR underestimates rainfall by 5.7%–60.1% for the HR of 35 meters and by 31.2%–47.9% for the 100 meter resolution, while MRR RR overestimates rainfall for higher gates at the 100 m resolution, and MRR Rz underestimates rainfall at all gates due to errors of the Z-R relationship (Z = aRb). Gates higher than 2,000 m are affected by bright band and mixed phase rainfall. Examination of the rainfall statistics suggests that the 100 m HR produces better rainfall estimates, and that the gate centered at 300 m has better performance than the gate centered at 70 m.

A Method for Rainfall Detection and Rainfall Intensity Level Retrieval from X-Band Marine Radar Images

“…In Ref. [25], the S-band Doppler weather radar is used to combine the Z-R relation method with the Mie theory, which can improve the accuracy of rainfall retrieval. The short wavelength of the millimeter-wave cloud radar can cause strong attenuation from raindrops in heavy rainfall observation, and the attenuation increases with the increase of rainfall intensity.…”

Clustering of Rainfall Types Using Micro Rain Radar and Laser Disdrometer Observations in the Tropical Andes

“…Precipitation is among the most important components of the hydrologic cycle because it triggers important processes that determine water distribution and availability [1][2][3]. In addition, precipitation is characterized by a high spatiotemporal variability.…”

“…These characteristics allow for the analysis of the vertical structure of the rain. They also allow to differentiate between rain types (convective and stratiform rain) and to identify the height of the Melting Layer (ML) [2,[11][12][13]. Besides, disdrometers are instruments that retrieve characteristics as particle spectrum, the rain rate, the quantity, and the type of rain [10].…”