Attenuation Correction and Hydrometeor Classification of High-Resolution, X-band, Dual-Polarized Mobile Radar Measurements in Severe Convective Storms

• DOI: 10.1175/2010jtecha1356.1
• Publication Date: 2010-05-04T14:51:51Z
• Authors: Jeffrey C. Snyder; Howard B. Bluestein; Guifu Zhang; Stephen J. Frasier
• Keywords: Weather radar; Convective storm detection; S band

Abstract X-band and shorter radar wavelengths are preferable for mobile systems because a narrow beam can be realized with moderately sized antenna. However, attenuation by precipitation becomes progressively more severe decreasing wavelength. As result, X band has become popular choice meteorological that balances these two considerations. Dual-polarization provides several methods which this (and differential attenuation) detected corrected, mitigating one of the primary disadvantages radars. The dynamics convective storms depend, to some extent, on distribution type hydrometeors within storm. To estimate three-dimensional using data, it is necessary correct before applying commonly used hydrometeor classification algorithms. Since 2002, dual-polarized Doppler weather designed at University Massachusetts, Amherst been collect high-resolution data in plains. This study tests correction procedures dual-polarization measurements, along dual-frequency method S-band Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 (WSR-88D) KOUN data. After correcting attenuation, fuzzy logic algorithm, modified as reference, attempt retrieval types observed storms.