Performance Evaluation of a New Dual-Polarization Microphysical Algorithm Based on Long-Term X-Band Radar and Disdrometer Observations

AbstractAccurate estimation of precipitation at high spatial and temporal resolution of weather radars is an open problem in hydrometeorological applications. The use of dual polarization gives the advantage of multiparameter measurements using orthogonal polarization states. These measurements carry significant information, useful for estimating rain-path signal attenuation, drop size distribution (DSD), and rainfall rate. This study evaluates a new self-consistent with optimal parameterization attenuation correction and rain microphysics estimation algorithm (named SCOP-ME). Long-term X-band dual-polarization measurements and disdrometer DSD parameter data, acquired in Athens, Greece, have been used to quantitatively and qualitatively compare SCOP-ME retrievals of median volume diameter D0 and intercept parameter NW with two existing rain microphysical estimation algorithms and the SCOP-ME retrievals of rain rate with three available radar rainfall estimation algorithms. Error statistics for rain rate e...

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