DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD TO ESTIMATE OF DROP SIZE DISTRIBUTION ABOVE THE MELTING LAYER BY USING 400MHz-BAND WIND PROFILER AND COBRA

Abstract

The vertical profile of raindrop size distribution (DSD) is important for understanding rain processes. To improve the accuracy of rainfall intensity observed by precipitation radar and microwave radiometers carried on satellites, the information on the vertical profile of DSD is also important. The purpose of this study is to develop a database of DSD for the satellites precipitation retrieval by using a 400MHz-band wind profiler and COBRA (CRL Okinawa Bistatic polarimetric Radar) for various kinds of hydrometer (rain, snow, and mix phase). A new algorithm is proposed above the melting layer. As a result, in the case that the spectrum peak of air motion is difficult to be found from the observed Doppler spectrum above the melting layer, it is possible that DSD can be estimated by the proposed algorithm.