A new approach for the clear air velocity estimation in weather radar is presented. A combination of nonparametric with parametric spectral analyses allows us to identify and extract multiple processes caused by different scatterer types within a single radar resolution volume. An example of clear air observed using an S-band dual polarization radar is presented. Heretofore, migrating birds and wind-blown insects that are mixed within each resolution volume caused such data to be unusable for meteorological interpretation. In this paper, we construct power spectral densities of polarimetric variables. We use the polarimetric spectral densities to differentiate the scatterer types within the observed radar resolution volume. We demonstrate how our combination of non-parametric and parametric spectral analysis can be used to retrieve the true wind velocity in situations with severe contamination by biological scatterers.

This book (10 chapters) covers radar entomology and its application in the study and monitoring of insect flight and migration. Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to both radar and the biological phenomena that entomologists have studied with radars. An outline of alternative and complementary methods for studying insect movement and a brief historical account of developments in the field are included. Chapter 2 introduces the fundamentals of remote sensing and briefly summarizes some entomological applications of it that do not involve radio technology. The technique and theory underlying radar entomology are covered in chapters 3-8, whereas the principal biological findings that have resulted from the use of radar technology are discussed in chapters 9-14. This book is intended primarily for entomologists, although this publication may also be useful to behaviourists, ecologists, biometeorologists, radar ornithologists and radar meteorologists.

This 2001 book provides a detailed introduction to the principles of Doppler and polarimetric radar, focusing in particular on their use in the analysis of weather systems. The design features and operation of practical radar systems are highlighted throughout the book in order to illustrate important theoretical foundations.

This monograph offers a wide array of contemporary information on weather radar polarimetry and its applications. The book tightly connects the microphysical processes responsible for the development and evolution of the clouds’ bulk physical properties to the polarimetric variables, and contains the procedures on how to simulate realistic polarimetric variables. With up-to-date polarimetric methodologies and applications, the book will appeal to practicing radar meteorologists, hydrologists, microphysicists, and modelers who are interested in the bulk properties of hydrometeors and quantification of these with the goals to improve precipitation measurements, understanding of precipitation processes, or model forecasts.

A comprehensive introduction to the current technology and application of radar in meteorology and atmospheric sciences Written by leading experts in the field, Radar Meteorology, A first Course offers an introduction to meteorological radar systems and applications, with emphasis on observation and interpretation of physical processes in clouds and weather systems. This comprehensive introduction to the subject offers an overview of the quantities essential to radar meteorology including the radar reflectivity factor, and Doppler, dual-polarization, and multi-wavelength radar variables. The authors highlight wind retrieval from single and multiple Doppler radars, precipitation estimation and hydrometeorological applications, with chapters dedicated to interpretation of radar data from warm season mid-latitude severe weather, winter storms, tropical cyclones and more. In addition, Radar Meteorology highlights research applications of this burgeoning technology, exploring dynamic applications such as space-borne and ground-based vertically pointing radar systems, and cloud, airborne and mobile radars. As meteorological radars are increasingly used professionally for weather observation, forecasting and warning, this much-needed text: Presents an introduction to the technical aspects and current application of radar as used in the meteorology and atmospheric sciences Contains full-colour illustrations that enhance the understanding of the material presented Examines the wide-range of meteorological applications of radar Includes problems at the end of each chapter as a helpful review of the contents Provides full instructor support with all illustrations and answers to problems available via the book’s instructor website. Radar Meteorology offers a much-needed introductory text to the study of radar as applied to meteorology. The text was designed for a one semester course based on the authors' own course in Radar Meteorology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This Ph.D dissertation focuses on applications of a mobile high resolution X-band polarimetric Doppler weather radar observations in quantitative rainfall and microphysical estimation. X-band tends to be an attractive radar frequency for hydrologists and hydrometeorologists who are more interesting in high-resolution measurements over small watersheds. However, the drawback with X-band radar is severe attenuation of the electromagnetic signal in significant rainfall, which affects the radar observations and introduces errors in rainfall estimation. The major advantage of the polarimetric weather radar is that it has the ability to transmit and receive both horizontal and vertical polarization. This capability introduces two radar measurements apart from the horizontal reflectivity (ZH). These are the differential reflectivity (ZDR), which is the ratio of horizontal (H) to vertical (V) polarization and the differential phase shift (ΦDP), which is the difference in phase between the H and V polarization signals. This additional information helps to increase the correlation (r 2 > 0.95) between attenuation-corrected (National Observatory of Athens X-band polarimetric) XPOL versus the non-attenuated ZH and ZDR X-band parameters derived from (NCAR S-band polarimetric radar) S-Pol. Error statistics show that the selected algorithm with the least systematic error than the other methods and axial ratio models, converge to below 10% (50%) at path integrated attenuation (differential PIA) values greater than 10 dB (2.5 dB). Overall, the combined uncertainty in the estimation of specific and differential attenuation parameters represent about 28% (in ZH) and 38% (in ZDR). The first part of this thesis focuses on the development of an algorithm that corrects for rain-path attenuation. The second part of this thesis describes a methodology that estimates drop size distribution (DSD) from the attenuation-corrected radar measurements. Two algorithms that estimate the three-parameter 'normalized' Gamma DSD model are developed for X-band radar polarimetric observations and compared against S-Pol radar and disdrometer spectra observations. The constrained-gamma method is so named because of the constrained Î1⁄4-Λ relation and the "Î2" beta is so named because of the estimation of the mean axis ratio of drops. From the statistical analysis and comparisons of disdrometer spectra observations and S-Pol DSD retrievals, it is found that the Î2-method introduces errors from the use of KDP, while the constrained-method works reasonably well at low and high rain rates and provides relatively accurate retrieval of the DSD parameters. Error statistics show that the Î2-method introduces an additional 20% and 30% error in NW and Î1⁄4 while for the estimation of D 0 both algorithms have similar performance.

This book presents the fundamentals of polarimetric radar remote sensing through understanding wave scattering and propagation in geophysical media filled with hydrometers and other objects. The text characterizes the physical, statistical, and electromagnetic properties of hydrometers and establishes the relations between radar observables and physical state parameters. It introduces advanced remote sensing techniques (such as polarimetric phased array radar) and retrieval methods for physical parameters. The book also illustrates applications of polarimetric radar measurements in hydrometer classification, particle size distribution retrievals, microphysical parameterization, and weather quantification and forecast.