Bright band identification from vertical profile of reflectivity

The bright band, a layer of enhanced reflectivity due to melting of aggregated snow or grauple, is problematic to accurate quantitative precipitation estimation by radar. Using vertical profiles of reflectivity (VPR) derived from the WSR-88D base level reflectivity data, an automated bright band identification (BBID) scheme was developed. The BBID algorithm uses the vertical profile of reflectivity to identify and quantify the thickness of melting layer. The paper presents a description of the BBID and evaluation results from several radars data in different geographical regions and seasons. The bright band layer identified from the automated scheme correlates well with the freezing level height from an operational numerical weather prediction model and is consistent with the enhanced reflectivity layer in the 3-D reflectivity field. The automated BBID scheme can be useful in radar applications such as quantitative precipitation estimation and icing condition analysis for aviation.