An Evaluation of a Drop Distribution–Based Polarimetric Radar Rainfall Estimator

• DOI: 10.1175/1520-0450(2003)042<0652:aeoadd>2.0.co;2
• Publication Date: 2003-04-24T19:09:22Z
• Authors: Edward A. Brandes; Guifu Zhang; J. Vivekanandan
• Keywords: Disdrometer

A method for estimating the governing parameters of gamma drop size distributions (DSDs) and associated rainfall rates from polarimetric radar measurements at S band is examined. The technique uses reflectivity horizontal polarization, differential reflectivity, an empirical constraining relationship between DSD shape factor slope parameter. Retrieved show good agreement with disdrometer observations. estimates are insensitive to climatological regime. Comparison fixed-form power-law estimators reveals that constrained-gamma outperforms roughly equivalent reflectivity–differential optimized local DSDs.