Skip to main content

Three-Dimensional Wind Field Analysis from Doppler Radar Data

  • Chapter
Mesoscale Meteorology — Theories, Observations and Models

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIC,volume 114))

Abstract

This paper deals with the determination of a three-dimensional air flow from a dual or multiple Doppler radar experiment.

One first presents some elements of the measurement theory for a Doppler radar, and recalls the physical interpretation of the main parameters measured: the radar reflectivity factor, the mean radial velocity and the velocity variance.

The principles of the 3D wind field determination from dual or multiple Doppler radar are then indicated. This is followed by a review of the three main problems that are met in practice and of the techniques employed to overcome them. These problems are: (i) the filtering, interpolation and differentiation of the raw radial velocity fields, (ii) the effect of temporal variation of the sample wind field during the time interval of a volume scan by the radars, (iii) the choice of the boundary condition when integrating the continuity equation.

Illustrative results obtained during the COPT 81 experiment are presented in the last section.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Van de Hu1st, H.C., 1957: Light scattering by small particles. New York, John Wiley and Sons. Inc., London, Chapman and Hall, Ltd. pp. 470.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Battan, L.J., 1973: Radar observation of the atmosphere. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 324.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Gunn, K.L.S., and East T.W.R., 1954: The microwave properties of precipitation particles. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc. 80, pp. 522–545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Marshall, J.S., and Hitschfeld, W., 1953: Interpretation of the fluctuating echo from randomly distributed scatterers. Part I: Canadian J. Physics 31, pp. 962–994.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Waldvogel, A., 1974: The No jump of raindrop spectra. J. Atmos. Sci. 31, pp. 1067–1078.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Gunn, K.L.S., and Marshall, J.S., 1958: The distribution with size of aggregate snowflakes. J. Meteor. 15, pp. 452–461.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Federer, B., and Waldvogel, A., 1975: Hail and raindrop distributions from a Swiss multicell storm. J. Appl. Meteor. 14, pp. 91–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Marshall, J.S., and Palmer, W.M.K., 1948: The distribution of raindrops with size. J. Meteor. 5, pp. 165–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Srivastava, R.C., 1978: Parametrization of raindrop size distributions. J. Atmos. Sci. 35, pp. 108–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Foote, G.B., and du Toit, P.S., 1969: Terminal velocity of raindrops aloft. J. Appl. Meteor. 8, pp. 249–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Denenberg, J.N., 1972: Uncertainties in coherent measurement of the mean frequency and variance ofththe Doppler spectrum from meteorological echoes. Preprints 15 Radar Meteorology Conf., Champaign-Urbana, Amer. Meteor. Soc., pp. 216–221.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Frisch, A.S., and Clifford, S.F., 1974: A study of convection capped by a stable layer using Doppler radar and acoustic echo sounders. J. Atmos. Sci. 31, 1622–1628.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Frisch, A.S., and Strauch, R.G., 1976: Doppler radar measurements of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates in a Northeastern Colorado convective storm. J. Appl. Meteor. 15, pp. 1012–1017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Armijo, L., 1969: A theory for the determination of wind and precipitation velocities with Doppler radars. J. Atmos. Sci. 26, pp. 570–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Lhermitte, R.M., and Miller, L.J., 1970: Doppler radar meteorology for the observation of convective storms. Preprints 14 Radar Meteorology Conf., Tucson, Amer. Met. Soc., pp. 133–138.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ogura, Y., and Philipps, N.A., 1962: Scale analysis of deep and shallow convection in the atmosphere. J. Atmos. Sci. 19, pp. 173–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Cressman, C.W., 1959: An operational objective analysis system. Month. Weath. Rev. 87, pp. 367–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sasaki, Y., 1970: Some basic formalisms in numerical variational analysis. Month. Weath. Rev. 98, pp. 899–910.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Wahba, G., and Wendelberger, J., 1980: Some new mathematical methods for variational objective analysis using splines and cross validation. Month. Weath. Rev. 108, pp. 1122–1143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ray, P.S., Ziegler, C.L., Bumgarner, W., Serafin, R.J., 1980: Single and multiple Doppler radar observations of tornadic storms. Month. Weath. Rev. 108, pp. 1607–1625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Testud, J., and Chong, M., 1983: Three-dimensional wind field analysis from dual Doppler radar data. Part I: Filtering, Interpolating and Differentiating the raw data. To appear in J. Climate & Applied Meteor.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Polak, E., 1971: Computational methods and optimization: a unified approach. Mathem. Sci. and Eng., Vol. 77, Academic Press, New York, pp. 312.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Wilhelmson, R., 1974: The life cycle of a thunderstorm in three dimensions. J. Atmos. Sci. 31, pp. 1629–1651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Schlesinger, R.E., 1980: A three-dimensional model of an isolated thunderstorm. Part II: Dynamics of updraft splitting and mesovortex coupled evolution. J. Atmos. Sci. 37, pp. 395–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Gal Chen, T., 1982: Errors in fixed and moving frames of references: Applications for conventional and Doppler radar analysis. J. Atmos. Sci., 39, 2279–2300.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Chong, M., Testud, J., and Roux, F., 1983: Three-dimensional wind field analysis from dual Doppler radar data. Part II: Minimizing the error due to temporal variation. To appear in J. Climate & Applied Meteor.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Zrnic’, D.S., 1979: Estimation of spectral moments for weather echoes. IEEE Trans. on Geoscience Electronics, GE 17, 4, pp. 113–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Sirmans, D., and Bumgarner, B., 1975: Numerical comparison of five mean frequency estimations. J. Appl. Meteor. 14, pp. 991–1003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Chong, M., and Testud, J., 1983: Three-dimensional wind field analysis from dual Doppler radar data. Part-III: The boundary condition: an optimum determination based on a variational concept. To appear in J. Climate & Applied Meteor.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ray, P.S., Wagner, K.K., Johnson, K.C: W., Stephens, J.J., Bumgarner, W.C., and Mueller, E.A., 1978: Triple Doppler observations of a convective storm. J. Appl. Meteor. 17, pp. 1201–1212.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Doviak, R.J., Ray, P.S., Strauch, R.G., Miller, L.J., 1976: Error estimation in wind fields derived from dual Doppler radar measurements. J. Appl. Meteor. 15, pp. 868–878.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Ziegler, C.L., 1978: A dual Doppler variational objective analysis as applied to studies of convective storms. Master’s thesis, University of Oklahoma, pp. 115.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Sauvageot, H., 1980: Radar météorologie - Télédétection active de l’atmosphère, Editions Eyrolles, Paris, pp. 296.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Courant, R., and Hilbert, D., 1953: Methods of mathematical Physics, Chapter IV, Vol. 1 Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, pp. 561.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Achy, S., Isaka, H., Laroche, P., Pastre, C., Ramond, D., Sommeria, G., Testud, J., 1980: L’expérience COPT 81. Etude des précipitations, des phénomènes dynamiques et électriques associés à la convection profonde tropicale. Document COPT n° 1. Objectifs scientifiques. Available on request to CRPE.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1983 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Testud, J. (1983). Three-Dimensional Wind Field Analysis from Doppler Radar Data. In: Lilly, D.K., Gal-Chen, T. (eds) Mesoscale Meteorology — Theories, Observations and Models. NATO ASI Series, vol 114. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2241-4_39

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2241-4_39

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8390-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2241-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics