scholarly journals Intercomparison of Vertical Structure of Storms Revealed by Ground-Based (NMQ) and Spaceborne Radars (CloudSat-CPR and TRMM-PR)

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Veronica M. Fall ◽  
Qing Cao ◽  
Yang Hong

Spaceborne radars provide great opportunities to investigate the vertical structure of clouds and precipitation. Two typical spaceborne radars for such a study are the W-band Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) and Ku-band Precipitation Radar (PR), which are onboard NASA’s CloudSat and TRMM satellites, respectively. Compared to S-band ground-based radars, they have distinct scattering characteristics for different hydrometeors in clouds and precipitation. The combination of spaceborne and ground-based radar observations can help in the identification of hydrometeors and improve the radar-based quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE). This study analyzes the vertical structure of the 18 January, 2009 storm using data from the CloudSat CPR, TRMM PR, and a NEXRAD-based National Mosaic and Multisensor QPE (NMQ) system. Microphysics above, within, and below the melting layer are studied through an intercomparison of multifrequency measurements. Hydrometeors’ type and their radar scattering characteristics are analyzed. Additionally, the study of the vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) reveals the brightband properties in the cold-season precipitation and its effect on the radar-based QPE. In all, the joint analysis of spaceborne and ground-based radar data increases the understanding of the vertical structure of storm systems and provides a good insight into the microphysical modeling for weather forecasts.

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1293-1307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixin Wen ◽  
Qing Cao ◽  
Pierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter ◽  
Yang Hong ◽  
Jonathan J. Gourley ◽  
...  

Abstract This study proposes an approach that identifies and corrects for the vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) by using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) measurements in the region of Arizona and southern California, where the ground-based Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) finds difficulties in making reliable estimations of surface precipitation amounts because of complex terrain and limited radar coverage. A VPR identification and enhancement (VPR-IE) method based on the modeling of the vertical variations of the equivalent reflectivity factor using a physically based parameterization is employed to obtain a representative VPR at S band from the TRMM PR measurement at Ku band. Then the representative VPR is convolved with ground radar beam sampling properties to compute apparent VPRs for enhancing NEXRAD quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE). The VPR-IE methodology is evaluated with several stratiform precipitation events during the cold season and is compared to two other statistically based correction methods, that is, the TRMM PR–based rainfall calibration and a range ring–based adjustment scheme. The results show that the VPR-IE has the best overall performance and provides much more accurate surface rainfall estimates than the original ground-based radar QPE. The potential of the VPR-IE method could be further exploited and better utilized when the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission's dual-frequency PR is launched in 2014, with anticipated accuracy improvements and expanded latitude coverage.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 999-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen B. Cocks ◽  
Lin Tang ◽  
Pengfei Zhang ◽  
Alexander Ryzhkov ◽  
Brian Kaney ◽  
...  

Abstract The quantitative precipitation estimate (QPE) algorithm developed and described in Part I was validated using data collected from 33 Weather Surveillance Radar 1988-Doppler (WSR-88D) radars on 37 calendar days east of the Rocky Mountains. A key physical parameter to the algorithm is the parameter alpha α, defined as the ratio of specific attenuation A to specific differential phase KDP. Examination of a significant sample of tropical and continental precipitation events indicated that α was sensitive to changes in drop size distribution and exhibited lower (higher) values when there were lower (higher) concentrations of larger (smaller) rain drops. As part of the performance assessment, the prototype algorithm generated QPEs utilizing a real-time estimated and a fixed α were created and evaluated. The results clearly indicated ~26% lower errors and a 26% better bias ratio with the QPE utilizing a real-time estimated α as opposed to using a fixed value as was done in previous studies. Comparisons between the QPE utilizing a real-time estimated α and the operational dual-polarization (dual-pol) QPE used on the WSR-88D radar network showed the former exhibited ~22% lower errors, 7% less bias, and 5% higher correlation coefficient when compared to quality controlled gauge totals. The new QPE also provided much better estimates for moderate to heavy precipitation events and performed better in regions of partial beam blockage than the operational dual-pol QPE.


2021 ◽  
Vol 893 (1) ◽  
pp. 012054
Author(s):  
M F Handoyo ◽  
M P Hadi ◽  
S Suprayogi

Abstract A weather radar is an active system remote sensing tool that observes precipitation indirectly. Weather radar has an advantage in estimating precipitation because it has a high spatial resolution (up to 0.5 km). Reflectivity generated by weather radar still has signal interference caused by attenuation factors. Attenuation causes the Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) by the C-band weather radar to underestimate. Therefore attenuation correction on C-band weather radar is needed to eliminate precipitation estimation errors. This study aims to apply attenuation correction to determine Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) on the c-band weather radar in Bengkulu in December 2018. Gate-by-gate method attenuation correction with Kraemer approach has applied to c-band weather radar data from the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology and Geophysics (BMKG) weather radar network Bengkulu. This method uses reflectivity as the only input. Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) has obtained by comparing weather radar-based rain estimates to 10 observation rain gauges over a month with the Z-R relation equation. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is used to calculate the estimation error. Weather radar data are processed using Python-based libraries Wradlib and ArcGIS 10.5. As a result, the calculation between the weather radar estimate precipitation and the observed rainfall obtained equation Z=2,65R1,3. The attenuation correction process with Kreamer's approach on the c-band weather radar has reduced error in the Qualitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE). Corrected precipitation has a smaller error value (r = 0.88; RMSE = 8.38) than the uncorrected precipitation (r = 0.83; RMSE = 11.70).


Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Faure ◽  
Guy Delrieu ◽  
Nicolas Gaussiat

In the French Alps the quality of the radar Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) is limited by the topography and the vertical structure of precipitation. A previous study realized in all the French Alps, has shown a general bias between values of the national radar QPE composite and the rain gauge measurements: a radar QPE over-estimation at low altitude (+20% at 200 m a.s.l.), and an increasing underestimation at high altitudes (until −40% at 2100 m a.s.l.). This trend has been linked to altitudinal gradients of precipitation observed at ground level. This paper analyzes relative altitudinal gradients of precipitation estimated with rain gauges measurements in 2016 for three massifs around Grenoble, and for different temporal accumulations (yearly, seasonal, monthly, daily). Comparisons of radar and rain gauge accumulations confirm the bias previously observed. The parts of the current radar data processing affecting the bias value are pointed out. The analysis shows a coherency between the relative gradient values estimated at the different temporal accumulations. Vertical profiles of precipitation detected by a research radar installed at the bottom of the valley also show how the wide horizontal variability of precipitation inside the valley can affect the gradient estimation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Ju-Young Shin ◽  
Yonghun Ro ◽  
Joo-Wan Cha ◽  
Kyu-Rang Kim ◽  
Jong-Chul Ha

Machine learning algorithms should be tested for use in quantitative precipitation estimation models of rain radar data in South Korea because such an application can provide a more accurate estimate of rainfall than the conventional ZR relationship-based model. The applicability of random forest, stochastic gradient boosted model, and extreme learning machine methods to quantitative precipitation estimation models was investigated using case studies with polarization radar data from Gwangdeoksan radar station. Various combinations of input variable sets were tested, and results showed that machine learning algorithms can be applied to build the quantitative precipitation estimation model of the polarization radar data in South Korea. The machine learning-based quantitative precipitation estimation models led to better performances than ZR relationship-based models, particularly for heavy rainfall events. The extreme learning machine is considered the best of the algorithms used based on evaluation criteria.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 02013
Author(s):  
Basile PAUTHIER ◽  
Sébastien DEBUISSON ◽  
Arnaud DESCOTES ◽  
Julien PERGAUD ◽  
Sylvain MAILLARD

Rainfall has a crucial importance in viticulture, especially in Champagne vineyards, where irrigation is prohibited. Rainfall directly influences the phytosanitary pressure, nitrogen mineralization, flowering conditions, parcel practicability, soil erosion etc… In these conditions, implementing a weather stations network is the solution that the Comité Champagne chose to monitor rainfall all over the Champagne appellation since the 1990's. This networks is actually composed of 42 weather stations implemented in order to have the best spatial coverage as possible. The Comité Champagne also obtain some weather stations data from Météo France, the French national weather service. Even with that network, capturing all rainfall events accurately is difficult, especially in convective cases. Therefore, the interest in radar data has increased, to capture rainfall everywhere. Some tests have been previously made with PANTHERE radar data from Météo France with a resolution of 1 km2, results were promising, but presented inaccuracies particularly in convective events. In this article, we use a radar merging technique similar to the ANTILOPE method from Météo France, with a higher resolution network. The tool employed is the Estimages toolbox merger, based on krigine with external drift (KED) which has been demonstrated to give good results in quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) improvement.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 3199-3215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Porcacchia ◽  
P. E. Kirstetter ◽  
J. J. Gourley ◽  
V. Maggioni ◽  
B. L. Cheong ◽  
...  

Abstract Accurate quantitative precipitation estimation over mountainous basins is of great importance because of their susceptibility to natural hazards. It is generally difficult to obtain reliable precipitation information over complex areas because of the scarce coverage of ground observations, the limited coverage from operational radar networks, and the high elevation of the study sites. Warm-rain processes have been observed in several flash flood events in complex terrain regions. While they lead to high rainfall rates from precipitation growth due to collision–coalescence of droplets in the cloud liquid layer, their characteristics are often difficult to identify. X-band mobile dual-polarization radars located in complex terrain areas provide fundamental information at high-resolution and at low atmospheric levels. This study analyzes a dataset collected in North Carolina during the 2014 Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) field campaign over a mountainous basin where the NOAA/National Severe Storm Laboratory’s X-band polarimetric radar (NOXP) was deployed. Polarimetric variables are used to isolate collision–coalescence microphysical processes. This work lays the basis for classification algorithms able to identify coalescence-dominant precipitation by merging the information coming from polarimetric radar measurements. The sensitivity of the proposed classification scheme is tested with different rainfall-rate retrieval algorithms and compared to rain gauge observations. Results show the inadequacy of rainfall estimates when coalescence identification is not taken into account. This work highlights the necessity of a correct classification of collision–coalescence processes, which can lead to improvements in quantitative precipitation estimation. Future studies will aim at generalizing this scheme by making use of spaceborne radar data.


2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 621-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Kenneth Howard ◽  
Carrie Langston ◽  
Brian Kaney ◽  
Youcun Qi ◽  
...  

Abstract Rapid advancements of computer technologies in recent years made the real-time transferring and integration of high-volume, multisource data at a centralized location a possibility. The Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system recently implemented at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction demonstrates such capabilities by integrating about 180 operational weather radars from the conterminous United States and Canada into a seamless national 3D radar mosaic with very high spatial (1 km) and temporal (2 min) resolution. The radar data can be integrated with high-resolution numerical weather prediction model data, satellite data, and lightning and rain gauge observations to generate a suite of severe weather and quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) products. This paper provides an overview of the initial operating capabilities of MRMS QPE products.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document