X-band Radar Network Research Articles

A 4-years of radar-based observation of bow echo over Bandung basin Indonesia

BackgroundThis study presents a 4-year (January 2019–April 2023) X-band radar network-based bow echo observation over Great Bandung Indonesia. This study provides insight into the temporal and spatial variability of bow echo distribution and presents the atmospheric condition associated with the bow echo events. Temporal analysis is categorical into monthly, seasonally, and diurnal. The analysis was performed using X-band radar network and reanalysis data (ERA5).ResultAt least 26 bow echoes were identified across the Bandung basin from X-band radar network during the study period. From this total number of bow echoes, the observation of initiation modes is primarily generated from a weakly organized cell, with few coming from the squall line. The bow echo mostly evolved from noon until afternoon. The rainy season (December–January–February) and transition season (March–April–May) is the most frequent period of bow echo occurrence, with March being the most active month. Nevertheless, this study also found bow echo occurrence in the dry season (June–July–August). For the spatial analysis, the studied area is divided into two regions representing the eastern and western part of Bandung basin. The eastern region recorded the most intense occurrences with 14 events. The movement of bow echo in this region covered a shorter distance (average distance only 4.56 km), with all initiation modes occurring inside the region. The atmospheric condition within this region has less moisture flux, with higher CAPE and slightly higher surface temperature. Meanwhile, in the western region have different characteristics with higher moisture flux, a slight effect of CAPE and CINH, with longer distance and zonal movement direction of bow echo displacement.ConclusionThese conditions indicate that local convection is the dominant mode of bow echo initiation mode in the eastern region of Bandung basin. Meanwhile, the monsoon effect influences the bow echo initiation mode in the western region. Given that the observed 4-year bow echo has different characteristics from previous studies of bow echo in mid latitudes, developing different criteria for bow echo detection in the tropics is crucial.

Merging dual-polarization X-band radar network intelligence for improved microscale observation of summer rainfall in south Sweden

Compact dual-polarization doppler X-band weather radars (X-WRs) have recently gained attention in Scandinavia for sub-km and minute scale rainfall observations. This study develops a method for merging data from two X-WRs in Dalby and Helsingborg, southern Sweden (operated at five and one elevation angle levels, respectively) to improve the accuracy of rainfall observations. In total, 87 rainfall events from May-September 2021, observed by 38 tipping bucket gauges in the overlapping coverage of the X-WRs, were used for ground truth. The gauges were classified into four zones. An artificial neural network using doppler and dual-polarization variables (ANN) and a regression-based hybrid of RATEs (single-level rainfall products built-in to the X-WRs) based on the Marshall-Palmer equation (RMP) were calibrated for each zone. The calibrated models at 5-min scale significantly outperformed RATEs for all zones verified by Gilbert skill score (GSS), relative bias (rBIAS), mean absolute error (MAE), and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) not using the calibration data. Quantile-quantile plots confirmed a considerable improvement of the statistical distribution of the merged rainfall estimates for Zone I (closest to Dalby), II (mid-way between Dalby and Helsingborg), and IV (similar range as II for Dalby but farthest to Helsingborg) especially using ANN. Zone III (farthest to Dalby and closest to Helsingborg) was problematic for all RATEs, ANN, and RMP. The lowest-level elevation angle for both X-WRs showed the most erroneous RATEs. Consequently, the problems with Zone III can be solved if multiple levels of Helsingborg X-WR at higher levels are available.

Key Technologies of Hydrometeor Classification and Mosaic Algorithm for X-band Polarimetric Radar

The advantages of X-band polarimetric weather radar focus on its high spatio-temporal resolution and capability of multi-radar networking. However, the previously designed hydrometeor classification algorithm (HCA) for S-band weather radar is unsuitable for X-band weather radar due to the difference of backscattering characteristics and heavy precipitation attenuation. Therefore, the key technologies of hydrometeor classification algorithm and multi-radar mosaic algorithm for X-band polarimetric weather radar are proposed. First, it is found that the melting layer detection algorithm designed for S-band polarimetric weather radar is not suitable for X-band weather radar through analysis on the data collected by Beijing X-band radar network. A melting layer detection method based on quasi-vertical profile is proposed, which greatly improves the accuracy of obtaining the melting information. Second, a confidence threshold adjustment method is proposed to accurately estimate the data quality in the case of precipitation and clutter superposition. Third, an optimization method of membership functions based on data statistics is proposed to reconstruct the classification parameters suitable for Beijing X-band radar network. Finally, a multi-radar mosaic method based on rainfall attenuation is proposed, in which the reflectivity factors of networking radars are weighted and averaged by the data quality factor. Compared with the traditional method, it is found that the structural inhomogeneity of X-band radar mosaic result is effectively reduced. Those modifications effectively enhance the reliability of classification mosaic results of X-band weather radar network and provide technical support for the rapid deployment of X-band radar in China. Three typical precipitation cases in Beijing during the flood season in 2016 are used to compare the observational efficiency between X-band weather radar network and S-band operational radar. For the cases of convective rainfall, fine echo structures and reasonable hydrometeor distributions are found in X-band radar mosaic results. Especially for convective rainfall with short duration and small spatial scale, the advantage of X-band radar is more obvious, which alleviates the limited detection ability of S-band operational radar in urban areas. In addition, the hail falling area identified by X-band radar can be verified by manual observation in national weather stations. The performance of X-band weather radar network in large-scale stratiform precipitation, however, is not as good as S-band weather radar.

X-Net-Based Radar Data Assimilation Study over the Seoul Metropolitan Area

This study investigates the ability of the high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate summer precipitation with assimilation of X-band radar network data (X-Net) over the Seoul metropolitan area. Numerical data assimilation (DA) experiments with X-Net (S- and X-band Doppler radar) radial velocity and reflectivity data for three events of convective systems along the Changma front are conducted. In addition to the conventional assimilation of radar data, which focuses on assimilating the radial velocity and reflectivity of precipitation echoes, this study assimilates null-echoes and analyzes the effect of null-echo data assimilation on short-term quantitative precipitation forecasting (QPF). A null-echo is defined as a region with non-precipitation echoes within the radar observation range. The model removes excessive humidity and four types of hydrometeors (wet and dry snow, graupel, and rain) based on the radar reflectivity by using a three-dimensional variational (3D-Var) data assimilation technique within the WRFDA system. Some procedures for preprocessing radar reflectivity data and using null-echoes in this assimilation are discussed. Numerical experiments with conventional radar DA over-predicted the precipitation. However, experiments with additional null-echo information removed excessive water vapor and hydrometeors and suppressed erroneous model precipitation. The results of statistical model verification showed improvements in the analysis and objective forecast scores, reducing the amount of over-predicted precipitation. An analysis of a contoured frequency by altitude diagram (CFAD) and time–height cross-sections showed that increased hydrometeors throughout the data assimilation period enhanced precipitation formation, and reflectivity under the melting layer was simulated similarly to the observations during the peak precipitation times. In addition, overestimated hydrometeors were reduced through null-echo data assimilation.

Raindrop Size Distributions and Rain Characteristics Observed by a PARSIVEL Disdrometer in Beijing, Northern China

Fourteen-month precipitation measurements from a second-generation PARSIVEL disdrometer deployed in Beijing, northern China, were analyzed to investigate the microphysical structure of raindrop size distribution and its implications on polarimetric radar applications. Rainfall types are classified and analyzed in the domain of median volume diameter D 0 and the normalized intercept parameter N w . The separation line between convective and stratiform rain is almost equivalent to rain rate at 8.6 mm h−1 and radar reflectivity at 36.8 dBZ. Convective rain in Beijing shows distinct seasonal variations in log 10 N w – D 0 domain. X-band dual-polarization variables are simulated using the T-matrix method to derive radar-based quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) estimators, and rainfall products at hourly scale are evaluated for four radar QPE estimators using collocated but independent rain gauge observations. This study also combines the advantages of individual estimators based on the thresholds on polarimetric variables. Results show that the blended QPE estimator has better performance than others. The rainfall microphysical analysis presented in this study is expected to facilitate the development of a high-resolution X-band radar network for urban QPE applications.

Stochastic Spectral Method for Radar-Based Probabilistic Precipitation Nowcasting

AbstractNowcasts (short-term forecasts) of heavy rainfall causing flash floods are highly valuable in densely populated urban areas. In the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) project, a high-resolution X-band radar network was deployed in the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex. The Dynamic and Adaptive Radar Tracking of Storms (DARTS) method was developed as a part of the CASA nowcasting system. In this method, the advection field is determined in the spectral domain using the discrete Fourier transform. DARTS was recently extended to include a filtering scheme for suppressing small-scale precipitation features that have low predictability. Building on the earlier work, Stochastic DARTS (S-DARTS), a probabilistic extension of DARTS, is developed and tested using the CASA DFW radar network. In this method, the nowcasts are stochastically perturbed in order to simulate uncertainties. Two novel features are introduced in S-DARTS. First, the scale filtering and perturbation based on an autoregressive model are done in the spectral domain in order to achieve high computational efficiency. Second, this methodology is extended to modeling the temporal evolution of the advection field. The performance and forecast skill of S-DARTS are evaluated with different precipitation intensity thresholds and ensemble sizes. It is shown that S-DARTS can produce reliable probabilistic nowcasts in the CASA DFW domain with 250-m spatial resolution up to 45 min for lower precipitation intensities (below 2 mm h−1). For higher intensities (above 5 mm h−1), adequate skill can be obtained up to 15 min.

The observation experiments of severe storms associated with high winds and tornadoes using X-band radar network

The observation experiments of severe storms associated with high winds and tornadoes using X-band radar network

Improving the Accuracy of Rain Rate Estimates Using X-Band Phased-Array Weather Radar Network

To improve rain rate estimation accuracy of the networked phased-array weather radars (PAWRs) installed in Osaka and Kobe, Japan, we employ a rain rate estimation method using a sequentially varying radar reflectivity and rain rate ( ${Z}$ – ${R}$ ) relationship. To calculate the time variation in the ${Z}$ – ${R}$ relationship, the rain rate of the existing X-band radar network comprising four dual-polarization radars and the radar reflectivity factor of the PAWRs are used. The proposed method is compared with estimation methods using the Marshall–Palmer relationship and the attenuation coefficient (k). From the comparisons between the rain rate with the three different estimation methods and the rain rate of the rain gauges installed in an analyzed area, we discuss the estimation accuracy. From the comparisons, the proposed method shows significantly better performance than do the other two methods even when weather conditions include heavy or violent rain.

Nowcasting Rainfall Fields Derived from Specific Differential Phase

AbstractShort-term automated forecasting (nowcasting) of precipitation has traditionally been done using radar reflectivity data; recent research, however, indicates that using specific differential phase Kdp has several advantages over using reflectivity for estimating rainfall. This paper presents an evaluation of the characteristics of nowcasting Kdp-based rainfall fields using the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere Kdp estimation and nowcasting methods applied to approximately 42 h of X-band radar network data. The results show that Kdp-based rainfall fields exhibit lifetimes of ~17 min as compared with ~15 min for rainfall fields derived from reflectivity Zh in a continuous (cross correlation based) sense. Categorical (skill score based) lifetimes of ~26 min were observed for Kdp-based rainfall fields as compared with ~30 min for Zh-based rainfall fields. Radar–rain gauge verification showed that Kdp-based rainfall estimates consistently outperformed Zh-based estimates out to a lead time of 30 min, but the difference between the two estimators decreased in terms of normalized standard error with increasing lead time.

Research on X-Band Weather Radar Network Based on Sensor Grid

Monitoring of precipitation using X-band weather radar systems is becoming popular. X-band weather radar network, as an additional equipment of China new generation weather radar, primarily used to measure weather echo within 3km above the ground and has a high prospect. The network, based on sensor grid, is greater information advantage and network advantage. This paper describes the design, the key technology and implementation of an architectural framework of the weather radar network based on sensor grid. The results show that the network works robustly in real time.

Analysis of a Tornadic Mesoscale Convective Vortex Based on Ensemble Kalman Filter Assimilation of CASA X-Band and WSR-88D Radar Data

Abstract One of the goals of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) is to improve storm-scale numerical weather prediction (NWP) by collecting data with a dense X-band radar network that provides high-resolution low-level coverage, and by assimilating such data into NWP models. During the first spring storm season after the deployment of four radars in the CASA Integrated Project-1 (IP-1) network in southwest Oklahoma, a tornadic mesoscale convective system (MCS) was captured by CASA and surrounding Weather Surveillance Radars-1988 Doppler (WSR-88Ds) on 8–9 May 2007. The MCS moved across northwest Texas and western and central Oklahoma; two tornadoes rated as category 1 on the enhanced Fujita scale (EF-1) and one tornado of EF-0 intensity were reported during the event, just to the north of the IP-1 network. This was the first tornadic convective system observed by CASA. To quantify the impacts of CASA radar data in storm-scale NWP, a set of data assimilation experiments were performed using the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) system configured with full model physics and high-resolution terrain. Data from four CASA IP-1 radars and five WSR-88Ds were assimilated in some of the experiments. The ensemble contained 40 members, and radar data were assimilated every 5 min for 1 h. While the assimilation of WSR-88D data alone was able to produce a reasonably accurate analysis of the convective system, assimilating CASA data in addition to WSR-88D data is found to improve the representation of storm-scale circulations, particularly in the lowest few kilometers of the atmosphere, as evidenced by analyses of gust front position and comparison of simulated Vr with observations. Assimilating CASA data decreased RMS innovation of the resulting ensemble mean analyses of Z, particularly in early assimilation cycles, suggesting that the addition of CASA data allowed the EnKF system to more quickly achieve a good result. Use of multiple microphysics schemes in the forecast ensemble was found to alleviate underdispersion by increasing the ensemble spread. This work is the first assimilating real CASA data into an NWP model using EnKF.

Scale Filtering for Improved Nowcasting Performance in a High-Resolution X-Band Radar Network

Precipitation patterns exist on a continuum of scales where generally larger scale features facilitate longer useful prediction times at the expense of coarser resolution. Favorable measurement range and resolution make weather radar observations an attractive choice for input to automated short-term weather prediction (nowcasting) systems. Previous research has shown that nowcasting performance can be improved by spatially filtering radar observations and considering only those precipitation scales that are most representative of pattern motion for prediction or filtering those scales from predicted fields deemed unpredictable by remaining past their lifetimes. It has been shown that an improvement in nowcasting performance can be obtained by first applying a nonlinear elliptical spatial filter to observed Weather Surveillance Radar 88 Doppler vertically integrated liquid water fields to predict motion of larger scale features believed to better represent the motion of the entire precipitation pattern for forecast lead times up to 1 h. It has also been shown in the literature that wavelet transform can be used to develop measures of predictability at each scale and adaptive wavelet filters can be designed to remove perishable scales from predicted continental-scale reflectivity fields according to prediction lead time. This paper investigates the adaptation of both of these approaches and Fourier filtering to evaluate the effects of scale filtering on nowcasting performance using a Fourier-based nowcasting method and high-resolution Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere radar reflectivity data. A maximum improvement of approximately 18% in terms of Critical Success Index was observed by applying Fourier filtering in the context of truncating Fourier coefficients within the prediction model to the observed sequence of reflectivity fields used for assimilation. In addition, applying Fourier filtering to the resulting predictions showed a maximum reduction in mean absolute error of approximately 14%.

Quantitative Precipitation Estimation in the CASA X-band Dual-Polarization Radar Network

Abstract This paper presents the sensing aspects and performance evaluation of the quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) system in an X-band dual-polarization radar network developed by the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) Engineering Research Center. CASA’s technology enables precipitation observation close to the ground and QPE is one of the important applications. With expanding urbanization all over the world, vulnerability to floods has increased from intense rainfall such as urban flash floods. The QPE products that are derived at high spatiotemporal resolution, which is enabled by the deployment of a dense radar network, have the potential to improve the prediction of flash-flooding threats when coupled with hydrological models. Derivation of QPE from radar observations is a challenging process, in which the use of dual-polarization radar variables is advantageous. At X band, the specific differential propagation phase (Kdp) between the orthogonal linear polarization states is particularly appealing. The Kdp field is robustly acquired using an adaptive estimation method, and a simple R(Kdp) relation is used to perform precipitation estimation in this X-band radar network. Radar observations and QPE from multiyear field experiments are used to demonstrate the performance of rainfall estimation from the single-parameter Kdp-based rainfall product. The operational feasibility of radar QPE using an X-band radar network is critically assessed.