An Inverse Mapping Table Method for Raindrop Size Distribution Parameters Retrieval Using X-band Dual-Polarization Radar Observations

Details

• Journal Title:
  IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
• Personal Author:
  Sun, Yue ; Xiao, Hui ; Yang, Huiling ; Feng, Liang ; Chen, Haonan ; Luo, Li
• NOAA Program & Office:
  OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; PSL (Physical Sciences Laboratory) ; CIRA (Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere)
• Description:
  An inverse mapping table (IMT) method is proposed in this article to retrieve the raindrop size distribution (RSD) parameters from X-band polarimetric weather radar data. In the IMT method, a forward mapping database from three parameters of a gamma-type RSD to polarimetric radar variables is first built based on the scattering simulations under ideal atmospheric conditions, and then an inverse mapping database is derived. In particular, given a fixed shape parameter (μ) of RSD, the intersection of horizontal reflectivity (ZH) and differential reflectivity (Z DR ) contour lines is first obtained in the domain of total number concentration (N T ) and median volume diameter (MVD) D 0 ; and the inverse mapping relationship between Z H and Z DR to N T and D 0 at a fixed μ value is derived to form a single layer of IMT. Then, the monotonic relationship between μ and the specific differential propagation phase shift (KDP) or backscatter differential phase (δ C ) can aid in determining μ and a single layer of IMT. Thus, the inverse mapping database from polarimetric observations to the three gamma-type RSD parameters μ, NT, and D 0 can be established. Demonstration studies during a convective rainfall event and a large-scale rainfall event which occurred in northeastern China are carried out to examine the performance of this IMT method compared to a constrained-gamma (C-G) method that uses empirical relations between RSD parameters. The results show that the IMT method has a better performance in the convective case and similar performance in the large-scale continuous rainfall case.
• Keywords:
  Clouds Radar Polarimetry Scattering Radar Polarimetry
• Source:
  IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing ( Volume: 58, Issue: 11, Nov. 2020)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2020.2982687
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Rights Information:
  Other
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:0b08af836d1992f3388495034fdabfa5d00cde34ab51a8637558be1fd7e56765
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/31121/noaa_31121_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 7.90 MB ]