Estimation of Spatial Correlation of Drop Size Distribution Parameters and Rain Rate Using NASA’s S-Band Polarimetric Radar and 2D Video Disdrometer Network: Two Case Studies from MC3E

Abstract

Abstract Polarimetric radar data obtained at high spatial and temporal resolutions offer a distinct advantage in estimating the spatial correlation function of drop size distribution (DSD) parameters and rain rate compared with a fixed gauge–disdrometer network. On two days during the 2011 Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) campaign in Oklahoma, NASA’s S-band polarimetric radar (NPOL) performed repeated PPI scans every 40 s over six 2D video disdrometer (2DVD) sites, located 20–30 km from the radar. The two cases were 1) a rapidly evolving multicell rain event (with large drops) and 2) a long-duration stratiform rain event. From the time series at each polar pixel, the Pearson correlation coefficient is computed as a function of distance along each radial in the PPI scan. Azimuthal dependence is found, especially for the highly convective event. A pseudo-1D spatial correlation is computed that is fitted to a modified-exponential function with two parameters (decorrelation distance R0 and shape F). The first event showed significantly higher spatial variability in rain rate (shorter decorrelation distance R0 = 3.4 km) compared with the second event with R0 = 10.2 km. Further, for the second event, the spatial correlation of the DSD parameters and rain rate from radar showed good agreement with 2DVD-based spatial correlations over distances ranging from 1.5 to 7 km. The NPOL also performed repeated RHI scans every 40 s along one azimuth centered over the 2DVD network. Vertical correlations of the DSD parameters as well as the rainwater content were determined below the melting level, with the first event showing more variability compared with the second event.