TY - JOUR
T1 - Quasi-vertical profiles-A new way to look at polarimetric radar data
AU - Ryzhkov, Alexander
AU - Zhang, Pengfei
AU - Reeves, Heather
AU - Kumjian, Matthew
AU - Tschallener, Timo
AU - Trömel, Silke
AU - Simmer, Clemens
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for the study was provided by NOAA/Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research under NOAA–University of Oklahoma Cooperative Agreement NA11OAR4320072, U.S. Department of Commerce, and by the U.S. National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and U.S. Department of Defense program for modernization of NEXRAD radars. Additional support was given from the Grant ER65459 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric System Research program and Grant AGS- 1143948 from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Research based on the Bonn X-band radar was carried out in the framework of the Hans-Ertel-Centre for Weather Research (http://www.herz-tb1.uni-bonn.de/), funded by the BMVBS (Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development), and the SFB/TR 32 (Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 32; http:// www.tr32.de/), funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Meteorological Society.
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - A novel methodology is introduced for processing and presenting polarimetric data collected by weather surveillance radars. It involves azimuthal averaging of radar reflectivity Z, differential reflectivity ZDR, cross-correlation coefficient ρhv, and differential phase ΦDP at high antenna elevation, and presenting resulting quasi-vertical profiles (QVPs) in a height-versus-time format. Multiple examples of QVPs retrieved from the data collected by S-, C-, and X-band dual-polarization radars at elevations ranging from 6.4° to 28° illustrate advantages of the QVP technique. The benefits include an ability to examine the temporal evolution of microphysical processes governing precipitation production and to compare polarimetric data obtained from the scanning surveillance weather radars with observations made by vertically looking remote sensors, such as wind profilers, lidars, radiometers, cloud radars, and radars operating on spaceborne and airborne platforms. Continuous monitoring of the melting layer and the layer of dendritic growth with high vertical resolution, and the possible opportunity to discriminate between the processes of snow aggregation and riming, constitute other potential benefits of the suggested methodology.
AB - A novel methodology is introduced for processing and presenting polarimetric data collected by weather surveillance radars. It involves azimuthal averaging of radar reflectivity Z, differential reflectivity ZDR, cross-correlation coefficient ρhv, and differential phase ΦDP at high antenna elevation, and presenting resulting quasi-vertical profiles (QVPs) in a height-versus-time format. Multiple examples of QVPs retrieved from the data collected by S-, C-, and X-band dual-polarization radars at elevations ranging from 6.4° to 28° illustrate advantages of the QVP technique. The benefits include an ability to examine the temporal evolution of microphysical processes governing precipitation production and to compare polarimetric data obtained from the scanning surveillance weather radars with observations made by vertically looking remote sensors, such as wind profilers, lidars, radiometers, cloud radars, and radars operating on spaceborne and airborne platforms. Continuous monitoring of the melting layer and the layer of dendritic growth with high vertical resolution, and the possible opportunity to discriminate between the processes of snow aggregation and riming, constitute other potential benefits of the suggested methodology.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962896245&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84962896245&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0020.1
DO - 10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0020.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84962896245
VL - 33
SP - 551
EP - 562
JO - Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
JF - Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
SN - 0739-0572
IS - 3
ER -