Characterizing convective and stratiform precipitation regimes observed during MC3E using C-SAPR radar

 
Poster PDF

Authors

Maureen Dunn — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Scott Giangrande — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Michael Jensen — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Scott Matthew Collis — Argonne National Laboratory

Category

Cloud Properties

Description

Observations gathered from the new Recovery Act-funded, C-band (5.6 GHz) scanning ARM precipitation radar (C-SAPR) during the MC3E campaign are used to partition precipitation events into convective cloud and widespread stratiform precipitating regions. For this effort, we combine newer ARM polarimetric radar insights with conventional radar segregation methods to classify bulk precipitation types. Identifying convective precipitation cores with radar is accomplished by evaluating 3D properties of the reflectivity factor Z field that are associated with storm intensity and spatial (texture, decay) properties. A challenge for C-SAPR and shorter radar wavelength-based classification methods is that conventional Z-based techniques are less robust for intense storms where attenuation of Z in rain is an important source of radar bias. C-SAPR dual-polarization radar measurements including the specific differential phase (KDP) are immune to partial attenuation in rain and are explored as means to improve convective/stratiform partitioning in attenuating conditions. Results of the precipitation mask partitioning are compared with those from nonattenuating radar references including profiling radars with vertical velocity insights. Partitioning is also compared with collocated surface-based video disdrometer records to reveal multiparameter bulk drop size distribution and rainfall properties linked to the assigned radar-based regimes.