Article Type:
Research Article

A Combined Wind Profiler and Polarimetric Weather Radar Method for the Investigation of Precipitation and Vertical Velocities

Michihiro S. Teshiba School of Meteorology, and Atmospheric Radar Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

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Phillip B. Chilson School of Meteorology, and Atmospheric Radar Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

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Alexander V. Ryzhkov Atmospheric Radar Research Center, and Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, and NOAA/OAR National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma

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Terry J. Schuur Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, and NOAA/OAR National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma

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Robert D. Palmer School of Meteorology, and Atmospheric Radar Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

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Print Publication:
01 Sep 2009
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JTECHA1102.1
Page(s):
1940–1955
Restricted access

Abstract

A method is presented by which combined S-band polarimetric weather radar and UHF wind profiler observations of precipitation can be used to extract the properties of liquid phase hydrometeors and the vertical velocity of the air through which they are falling. Doppler spectra, which contain the air motion and/or fall speed of hydrometeors, are estimated using the vertically pointing wind profiler. Complementary to these observations, spectra of rain drop size distribution (DSD) are simulated by several parameters as related to the DSD, which are estimated through the two polarimetric parameters of radar reflectivity (ZH) and differential reflectivity (ZDR) from the scanning weather radar. These DSDs are then mapped into equivalent Doppler spectra (fall speeds) using an assumed relationship between the equivolume drop diameter and the drop’s terminal velocity. The method is applied to a set of observations collected on 11 March 2007 in central Oklahoma. In areas of stratiform precipitation, where the vertical wind motion is expected to be small, it was found that the fall speeds obtained from the spectra of the rain DSD agree well with those of the Doppler velocity estimated with the profiler. For those cases when the shapes of the Doppler spectra are found to be similar in shape but shifted in velocity, the velocity offset is attributed to vertical air motion. In convective rainfall, the Doppler spectra of the rain DSD and the Doppler velocity can exhibit significant differences owing to vertical air motions together with atmospheric turbulence. Overall, it was found that the height dependencies of Doppler spectra measured by the profiler combined with vertical profiles of Z, ZDR, and the cross correlation (ρHV) as well as the estimated spectra of raindrop physical terminal fall speeds from the polarimetric radar provide unique insight into the microphysics of precipitation. Vertical air motions (updrafts/downdrafts) can be estimated using such combined measurements.

* Current affiliation: Weathernews Inc., Chiba, Japan.

Corresponding author address: Michihiro S. Teshiba, School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Rm. 5900, Norman, OK 73072-7307. Email: teshiba@arrc.ou.edu

Abstract

A method is presented by which combined S-band polarimetric weather radar and UHF wind profiler observations of precipitation can be used to extract the properties of liquid phase hydrometeors and the vertical velocity of the air through which they are falling. Doppler spectra, which contain the air motion and/or fall speed of hydrometeors, are estimated using the vertically pointing wind profiler. Complementary to these observations, spectra of rain drop size distribution (DSD) are simulated by several parameters as related to the DSD, which are estimated through the two polarimetric parameters of radar reflectivity (ZH) and differential reflectivity (ZDR) from the scanning weather radar. These DSDs are then mapped into equivalent Doppler spectra (fall speeds) using an assumed relationship between the equivolume drop diameter and the drop’s terminal velocity. The method is applied to a set of observations collected on 11 March 2007 in central Oklahoma. In areas of stratiform precipitation, where the vertical wind motion is expected to be small, it was found that the fall speeds obtained from the spectra of the rain DSD agree well with those of the Doppler velocity estimated with the profiler. For those cases when the shapes of the Doppler spectra are found to be similar in shape but shifted in velocity, the velocity offset is attributed to vertical air motion. In convective rainfall, the Doppler spectra of the rain DSD and the Doppler velocity can exhibit significant differences owing to vertical air motions together with atmospheric turbulence. Overall, it was found that the height dependencies of Doppler spectra measured by the profiler combined with vertical profiles of Z, ZDR, and the cross correlation (ρHV) as well as the estimated spectra of raindrop physical terminal fall speeds from the polarimetric radar provide unique insight into the microphysics of precipitation. Vertical air motions (updrafts/downdrafts) can be estimated using such combined measurements.

* Current affiliation: Weathernews Inc., Chiba, Japan.

Corresponding author address: Michihiro S. Teshiba, School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, 120 David L. Boren Blvd., Rm. 5900, Norman, OK 73072-7307. Email: teshiba@arrc.ou.edu

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