Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Meteorological research applications of MM-wave radar

  • Published:
Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

MM-wave radar has now been developed well beyond that of simply providing qualitative information about the presence or location of clouds. Uncertainty about cloud properties leading to gross errors in climate model results has provided the impetus to develop mm-wave radars into reliable, quantitative tools for studying clouds. Besides depicting the small-scale (a few tens of meters) features of tenuous cirrus and low level stratus clouds, the 3 mm and 8 mm wavelength radars described here can examine the physical structure, dynamics and small-scale turbulence of clouds when used alone. Polarization capability of these radars is now generating new information about the deformity of cloud particles needed for calculations of radiation budgets of clouds. When used with other sensors such as lidar or radiometers, additional cloud microphysical information can be retrieved. We discuss here two different ways to calculate ice mass content profiles from radar/lidar data and from radar/IR radiometer data. Mm-wave radar is most suited for these calculations because of complications introduced by 1) Bragg (refractivity) scatter, 2) the lower resolution, and 3) ground clutter effects at longer wavelengths. Combining radar and microwave radiometer data is shown to provide liquid water profiles in warm marine stratus clouds. The small size and weight of mm-wave radars make them particularly suitable for use on aircraft and satellite platforms and we show recent results from an airborne system to make that point. The technology has now advanced to the point where unattended, vertically-pointing, Doppler mm-wave radars will soon be commonly used in research applications.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackerman, T. P., Albrecht, B. A., Miller, M. A., Clothiax, E., Peters, R. M., Syrett, W., 1993: Remote sensing of cloud properties using a 94 GHz radar. Proceedings from Topical Symposium on Combined Optical-Microwave Earth and Atmospheric Sensing. Albuquerque, NM.

  • Albrecht, B. A., Miller, M. A., Peters, R. M., 1990: The Development of Surface-Based System for Observing Boundary Layer Clouds, Preprint Vol. 9th Symposium on Turbulence and Diffusion, Roskilde, Denmark, 4/30-5/3/90, 70–73.

  • Atlas, D. (ed.), 1990)Radar in Meteorology: Battan Memorial and 40th Anniversary Radar Meteorology Conference. Boston, MA: American Meteorological Society, 806 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aydin, K., Tang, C., 1993: Millimeter wave polarization scattering from ice crystals. Preprints, 26th Conference on Radar Meteorology, Norman, OK.

  • Battan, L., 1973:Radar Observation of the Atmosphere, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 324 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browning, K. A., Betts, A., Jonas, P. R., Kershaw, R., Manton, M., Mason, P. J., Miller, M., Moncrief, M. W., Sundqvist, H., Tao, W. K., Tiedtke, M., Hobbs, P. V., Mitchell, J., Raschke, E., Stewart, R. E., Simpson, J., 1993. The GEWEX Cloud System Study (GCSS).Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.,74, 387–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dungey, C. E., Bohren, C. F., 1993: Backscattering by nonspherical hydrometeors as calculated by the coupled-dipole method: an application in radar meteorology.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol.,10, 526–532.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, K. F., Vivekanandan, J., 1990: Multiparameter radar and microwave radiative transfer modeling of nonspherical atmospheric ice particles.IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing,28, 423–437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch, A. S., Martner, B. E., Gibson, J. S., 1989: Measurement of the vertical flux of turbulent kinetic energy with a single Doppler radar.Bound.-Layer Meteor.,49, 331–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch, A. S., Fairall, C. W., Snider, J. B., 1994: On the measurement of stratus cloud and drizzle parameters with aK a-band radar and a microwave radiometer.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., (submitted).

  • Gossett, M., Sauvageot, H., 1992: A dual-wavelength method for ice-water characterization in mixed-phase clouds.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol.,9, 538–547.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harper, W. G., 1964: Cloud detection with a 8.6 millimetre wavelength radar.Metereol. Mag.,93, 337–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs, P. V., Funk, N. T., 1984: Cloud and precipitation studies with a millimetre-wave radar; A pictorial overview.Weather,39(11), 334–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs, P. V., Funk, N. T., Weiss, Sr., R. R., Locatelli, J. D., Biswas, K. R., 1985: Evaluation of a 35 GHz radar for cloud physics research.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol. 2, 35–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogg, D. C., Guiraud, F. O., Snider, J. B., Decker, M. T., Westwater, E. R., 1983: A steerable dual-channel microwave radiometer for measurement of water vapor and liquid in the atmosphere.J. Appl. Meteor.,22, 789–906.

    Google Scholar 

  • Intrieri, J. M., Stephens, G. L., Eberhard, W. L., Uttal, T., 1993: A method for determining cirrus cloud particle sizes using lidar and radar backscatter technique.J. Appl. Meteor.,32, 1074–1082.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, C. A., Miller, L. J., 1993: First radar echoes from cumulus clouds.Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 74, 179–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knollenberg, R. G., Kelly, K., Wilson, J. C., 1993: Measurements of high number densities of ice crystals in the tops of tropical cumulonimbus.J. Geophys. Res. 98, 8639–8664.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kropfli, R. A., 1986: Single Doppler radar measurements of turbulence profiles in the convective boundary layer.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol.,3, 305–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kropfli, R. A., Bartram, B. W., Matrosov, S. Y., 1990: The upgraded WPL dual-polarization 8 mm wavelength Doppler radar for microphysical and climate research. Proceedings of Conf. on Cloud Physics, American Meteorological Society, Boston, MA., 341–345.

  • Kropfli, R. A., Orr, B. W., 1993: Observations of microcells in the marine boundary layer with 8-mm wavelength Doppler radar. Proceedings 26th International Conference on Radar Meteorology., American Meteorology Society, 492–494.

  • Lhermitte, R. M., 1987a: A 94-GHz Doppler radar for cloud observations.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol.,4, 36–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lhermitte, R. M., 1987b: Small cumuli observed with a 3 mm wavelength Doppler radar.Geophys. Res. Lett.,14, 707–710.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lhermitte, R. M., 1988a: Cloud and precipitation remote sensing at 94 GHz.IEEE Trans. Micro. Theory Techn.,26(3), 207–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lhermitte, R. M., 1988b: Observation of rain at vertical incidence with a 94 GHz Doppler radar: an insight on Mie scattering.Geophys. Res. Lett.,15, 1125–1128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lhermitte, R. M., 1989: Mie scattering observations by a 94 GHz Doppler radar at vertical incidence. 24th International Conference on Radar Meteorology., American Meteorological Society, 1–4.

  • Lhermitte, R., 1990: Attenuation and scattering of millimeter wavelength radiation by clouds and precipitation.J. Atmos. Sci.,7, 464–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, M. W., 1983:Radar Reflectivity of Land and Sea. Dedham, MA: Artech House, 385 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magono, C., Lee, C. W., 1966: Meteorological classification of natural snow crystals.J. Fac. Sci., Hokkaido Univ., Ser. VII,2(4), 321–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martner, B. E., Kropfli, R. A., 1993: Observations of multilayered clouds using K-band radar. Proceedings of the 31st Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Amer. Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Washington, D.C., AIAA-93-394.

  • Martner, B. E., Kropfli, R. A., Ash, L. E., Snider, J. B., 1993a: Dual-wavelength differential attenuation radar measurements of cloud liquid water content, Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Radar Meteorology, American Meteorological Society, 596–598.

  • Martner, B. E., Kropfli, R. A., Ash, L. E., Snider, J. B., 1993b: Cloud liquid water content measurement tests using dual-wavelength radar. NOAA Tech. Memo. ERL ETL-235, NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories, Boulder, CO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martner, B. E., Ralph, F. M., 1993: Breaking Kelvin-Helmholtz waves and cloud-top entrainment as revealed byK-band Doppler radar. Proceedings of the 9th conference of Atmospheric and Oceanic Waves and Stability, American Meteorological Society, Boston, Mass., 141–144.

  • Matrosov, S. Y., 1991a: Theoretical study of radar polarization parameters obtained from cirrus clouds.J. Atmos. Sci. 48, 1062–1070.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matrosov, S. Y., 1991b: Prospects for the measurements of ice cloud particle shape and orientation with elliptically polarized radar signals.Radio Sci.,26, 847–856.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matrosov, S. Y., 1992: Radar reflectivity in snowfall. IEEETrans. Geosci. Remote Sensing,30, 454–461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matrosov, S. Y., 1993: Possibilities of cirrus particle sizing form dual-frequency radar measurements.J. Geophys. Res.,98, 20675–20683.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matrosov, S. Y., Kropfli, R. A., 1993: Cirrus cloud studies with elliptically polarizedK a-band radar signals: A suggested approach.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol.,10, 684–692.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matrosov, S. Y., Kropfli, R. A., Orr, B. W., Snider, J. B., 1994: Retrieval of vertical profiles of cirrus cloud microstructure parameters from Doppler radar and IR radiometer measurements.J. Appl. Meteor.,33, 617–626.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matrosov, S. Y., Uttal, T., Snider, J. B., Krpofli, R. A. 1992: Estimation of ice cloud parameters from ground-based infrared radiometer and radar measurements.J. Geophys. Res.,97, 11567–11574.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moeng, C. H., Rotunno, R., 1990: Vertical-velocity skewness in the buoyancy-driven boundary layer.J. Atmos. Sci.,47, 1149–1162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nastrom, G. D., Warnock, J. M., 1994: Vertical motions estimated using data from a single station and a form of the adiabatic method.J. Appl. Meteor.,33, 65–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemarich, J., Wellman, R. J., Lacombe, J., 1988: Backscatter and attenuation by falling snow and rain at 96, 140, and 225 GHz.IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing,26, 319–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parungo, F., Boatman, J. F., Sievering, H., Wilkerson, S. W., Hicks, B. B., 1994: Trends in global marine cloudiness and anthropogenic sulfur.J. Climate,7, 434–440.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pasqualucci, F., 1980: Millimeter radar observations of vertical velocities in nonprecipitating cumulus clouds.J. Atmos. Res.,14, 517–521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pasqualucci, F., 1981: Millimeter-wave radar applications in meteorology. Atmospheric Technology: Recent Progress in Radar Meteorology, National Center for Atmospheric Research, No. 13.

  • Pasqualucci, F., Bartram, B. W., Kropfli, R. A., Moninger, W. R., 1983: A millimter-wavelength dual-polarization Doppler radar for cloud and precipitation studies.J. Climate Appl. Meteorl.,22, 758–765.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulsen, W. H., Petrocchi, P. J., McLean, G., 1970: Operational Utilization of the AN/TPQ-11 Cloud Detection Radar.Air Force Cambridge Research. Labs Instrumentation Papers.166.

  • Pazmany, A. L., Mead, J. B., McIntosh, R. E., Hervig, M., Kelly, R., Vali, G., 1994a: 95 GHz polarimetric radar measurements of orographic cap clouds from the Elk Mountain Wyoming observatory.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol.,11, 140–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pazmany, A. L., McIntosh, R. E., Kelly, R. D., Vali, G., 1994b: An airborne 95 GHz dual polarized radar for cloud studies. To appear in July 1994IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing.

  • Petrocchi, P. J., Paulsen, W. H., 1966: Meteorological Significance of Vertical Density Profiles of Clouds and Precipitation obtained with the AN/TPQ-11 Radar, Proceedings of the 12th AMS Conference on Radar Meteorology, American Meteorological Society, 467–472.

  • Plank, V. G., Atlas, D., Paulsen, W. H., 1955: The nature and detectability of clouds and precipitation as determined by 1.25-centimeter radar.J. Appl. Meteor.,12, 358–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruppacher, H. R., Klett, J. D., 1978:Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation. Dordrecht, Holland: Reidel Publishing, 714 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralph, M. F., 1994: Using radar-measured radial vertical velocities in rain and snow to distinguish precipitation scattering from clear-air scattering.J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol. (accepted).

  • Schneider, T. L., Stephens, G. L., 1994: Backscattering by nonspherical ice particles at millimeter wavelengths. 8th Conference on Atmospheric Radiation, American Meteorological Society, 310–312.

  • Sekelsky, S. M., McIntosh, R. E., 1996: Cloud observations with a polarimetric 33 Ghz and 95 GHz radar.Meteorol. Atmos. Phys.,59, 123–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, P. L., 1993: An update on weather radar system sensitivity. Preprints, 26th Conference on Radar Meteorology, American Meteorological Society, Norman, OK.

  • Uttal, T., Shaver, S. M., Clothiaux, E. E., Ackerman, T. P., 1993: Cloud boundaries during FIRE II. 26th Conference on Radar Meteorology, American Meteorological Society, 111–113.

  • Vali, G., Kelly, R. D., Pazmany, A. McIntosh, R. E., 1994: Airborne radar and in-situ observations of a shallow stratus with drizzle.J. Atmos. Res. (submitted).

  • Vivekanandan, J., Adams, W. M., Bringi, V. B., 1991: Rigorous approach to polarimetric radar modeling of hydrometeor orientation distributions.J. Appl. Meteor.,30, 1054–1063.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. R. A. Krofli

    Present address: Radar Meteorology and Oceanography Division, NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory, 325 Broadway, 80303, Boulder, Colorado, USA

  2. R. D. Kelly

    Present address: Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, P.O. Box 3038, 82071, Laramie, Wyoming, USA

Authors and Affiliations

    Authors
    1. R. A. Krofli
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    2. R. D. Kelly
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Additional information

    With 6 Figures

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Cite this article

    Krofli, R.A., Kelly, R.D. Meteorological research applications of MM-wave radar. Meteorl. Atmos. Phys. 59, 105–121 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01032003

    Download citation

    • Received:

    • Revised:

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01032003

    Keywords

    Search

    Navigation