Network of Polarimetric X-band Radars: Optimizing Performance through Computer Simulations

Monitoring rainfall for hydrologic research requires measurement methods, capable of providing data with high spatial and temporal resolution at a watershed scale. Operational networks of weather radars together with in-situ measurements of rainfall can provide useful information, but do not fully satisfy requirements of watershed scale quantitative precipitation estimation. Recently, some research groups started to investigate the potential of small, relatively inexpensive, often mobile networks of X-band radars as a tool for monitoring rainfall. Such radars when operated as a single instruments have the potential to mitigate some of the shortcomings of a single radar approach and improve rainfall monitoring capabilities. The main advantage of using a network approach is the ability, to observe the same phenomena simultaneously from different locations. No algorithms currently exist supporting such networks in optimal attenuation correction, rainfall retrieval, etc. In search for optimal configuration of the University of Iowa X-band radar network, the authors are using a comprehensive computer simulator. Existing, single-radar attenuation correction algorithms and drop size distribution retrieval methods are tested in a networked environment. The authors are presenting applied simulation strategies, and discuss obtained results.