Advanced Study of Precipitation Microphysics with Multi-Frequency Polarimetric Radar Observations and Data Assimilation

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Progress toward more accurate short-range quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) depends on optimal use of high-resolution observations within cloud-resolving numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Among available candidate observations, those from the U.S. network of operational S-band WSR-88D radars (which are soon to be upgraded with dual-polarization capabilities) are among the richest datasets available for ingest by both operational- and research-quality models. Prior efforts by this group of investigators advanced the characterization and retrieval of microphysical precipitation particle type and size distributions using both polarimetric-radar and ground-based disdrometer data, and supported development of forward operators and ensemble-Kalman filter based assimilation capabilities for a storm-scale NWP model. Efforts under the current project will extend to include data from multi-wavelength data (including high-resolution C-band and X-band polarimetric observations) to seek further improvements of QPF and potential for severe weather threatening life and property.The intellectual merit of this effort centers on overcoming and correcting for non-Rayleigh scattering effects present at shorter wavelengths to allow full exploitation of these additional moment data in driving more accurate NWP simulations and (ultimately) short-term forecasts.Broader impacts of this research will occur through graduate student and postdoc training and capitalization upon an ongoing large NOAA investment in adding dual-polarization capability to the existing operational WSR-88D radar network. Direct collaboration with staff at NOAA's Radar Operations Center will facilitate integration of developed algorithms and codes into a testbed (and perhaps ultimately operational) setting, and should aid utilization of quantitative (vs. presently more qualitative) information on storm microphysical properties to the maximum extent possible.