32nd Conference on Broadcast Meteorology/31st Conference on Radar Meteorology/Fifth Conference on Coastal Atmospheric and Oceanic Prediction and Processes

Sunday, 10 August 2003: 10:30 AM
Validation of four dimensional microphysical data from Darwin using wind profiler retrievals
Peter T. May, BMRC, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; and T. D. Keenan
Poster PDF (159.7 kB)
Data from the C-pol (5cm wavelength polarimetric) radar is being used to produce grids of radar reflectivity and microphysical classifications on a 2 km grid every 10 minutes. The microphysical classification is based on using fuzzy logic approaches to combine the various polarimetric measurements to determine the most likely hydrometeor species present. The classifications include rain, drizzle, graupel, hail, mixed phase as well as high and low density snow. Examples of the data will be given. This data is available to the wider community through the ARM program. The focus of this paper will be on using wind profiler microphysical retrieavals to validate the C-Pol classifications. Validation using the vertically pointing profiler data will be shown including time height cross-sections showing the linkage and consistency between mixed phase regions and updrafts with magnitudes of the order of the fall speeds of the largest drops. An indirect validation via the detection of lightning in the profiler data is also discussed.

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