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A method for measuring precipitation parameters using radar reflectivity and optical extinction

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Abstract

A method is described by which radar reflectivity and optical extinction are used to determine precipitation parameters, such as liquid water content and rainfall rate, and an exponential approximation to the raindrop size spectrum. The improvement in the accuracy of the results over that which is possible using empirical relations is demonstrated by applying the method to a set of experimentally observed raindrop size spectra. It is also shown that the assumption of an exponential spectrum is not a necessary feature of the method and that any two parameter drop size distribution can be employed.

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L’auteur décrit une méthode utilisant l’extinction optique et la réflectivité radar pour mesurer des paramètres de précipitation tels que le contenu d’eau liquide, l’intensité de précipitation et une approximation exponentielle de la distribution du diamètre des gouttes. En appliquant cette méthode à un ensemble de distributions expérimentales, il montre l’amélioration de la précision des résultats par rapport à l’usage des relations empiriques. L’hypothèse d’une distribution exponentielle n’est pas nécessaire et toute distribution à 2 paramètres est utilisable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, 29631, Clemson, South Carolina, USA

    Carlton W. Ulbrich

  2. NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center, 20771, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

    David Atlas

Authors
  1. Carlton W. Ulbrich
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  2. David Atlas
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Ulbrich, C.W., Atlas, D. A method for measuring precipitation parameters using radar reflectivity and optical extinction. Ann. Télécommunic. 32, 415–421 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03003488

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03003488

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