Polarimetric radar estimators based on a constrained gamma drop size distribution model

Raindrop size distribution (DSD) retrieval from remote radar measurements or from in situ disdrometer measurements is an important area of research. If the shape (μ) and slope (Λ) of a three-parameter gamma distribution n(D) = N0Du exp(-ΛD) are related to one another, as recent disdrometer measurements suggest, the gamma DSD model is simplified to a two-parameter DSD, that is, a constrained gamma DSD. An empirical relation between the μ and Λ was derived using moments estimated from video-disdrometer measurements. Here, the effects of DSD truncation on a μ and Λ relation were analyzed. It was shown that characteristic size and variance of size of a constrained gamma DSD depend only on the shape parameter μ. Assuming that a constrained gamma DSD is valid, S-band polarimetric radar-based estimators for rain rate, median volume diameter, specific propagation phase, attenuation, and differential attenuation were derived. The radar-based estimators were used to obtain the spatial distribution of DSD parameters corresponding to a range-height indicator of radar measurements. Self-consistency among polarization radar measurements is used to indirectly verify constrained gamma DSD-based polarization radar estimators.

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Copyright 2004 American Meteorological Society (AMS). Permission to use figures, tables, and brief excerpts from this work in scientific and educational works is hereby granted provided that the source is acknowledged. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be "fair use" under Section 107 or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 USC, as revised by P.L. 94-553) does not require the Society's permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form on servers, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statements, requires written permission or license from the AMS. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policies, available from the AMS at 617-227-2425 or amspubs@ametsoc.org. Permission to place a copy of this work on this server has been provided by the AMS. The AMS does not guarantee that the copy provided here is an accurate copy of the published work.
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Author Vivekanandan, Jothiram
Zhang, Guifu
Brandes, Edward
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2004-02-01T00:00:00
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Topic Category geoscientificInformation
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Metadata Date 2023-08-18T18:37:56.603615
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:8906
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Vivekanandan, Jothiram, Zhang, Guifu, Brandes, Edward. (2004). Polarimetric radar estimators based on a constrained gamma drop size distribution model. UCAR/NCAR - Library. http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7mp53xv. Accessed 31 January 2025.

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