Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique

Weather radar observations are currently the most reliable method for remote sensing of precipitation. However, a number of factors affect the quality of radar observations and may limit seriously automated quantitative applications of radar precipitation estimates such as those required in Numerica...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fornasiero, A., Bech, Joan, Alberoni, P. P.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2006
País:España
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/27307
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/27307
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Observacions meteorològiques
Radar
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Meteorological observations
Precipitations (Meteorology)
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spelling Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction techniqueFornasiero, A.Bech, JoanAlberoni, P. P.Observacions meteorològiquesRadarPrecipitacions (Meteorologia)Meteorological observationsRadarPrecipitations (Meteorology)Weather radar observations are currently the most reliable method for remote sensing of precipitation. However, a number of factors affect the quality of radar observations and may limit seriously automated quantitative applications of radar precipitation estimates such as those required in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data assimilation or in hydrological models. In this paper, a technique to correct two different problems typically present in radar data is presented and evaluated. The aspects dealt with are non-precipitating echoes - caused either by permanent ground clutter or by anomalous propagation of the radar beam (anaprop echoes) - and also topographical beam blockage. The correction technique is based in the computation of realistic beam propagation trajectories based upon recent radiosonde observations instead of assuming standard radio propagation conditions. The correction consists of three different steps: 1) calculation of a Dynamic Elevation Map which provides the minimum clutter-free antenna elevation for each pixel within the radar coverage; 2) correction for residual anaprop, checking the vertical reflectivity gradients within the radar volume; and 3) topographical beam blockage estimation and correction using a geometric optics approach. The technique is evaluated with four case studies in the region of the Po Valley (N Italy) using a C-band Doppler radar and a network of raingauges providing hourly precipitation measurements. The case studies cover different seasons, different radio propagation conditions and also stratiform and convective precipitation type events. After applying the proposed correction, a comparison of the radar precipitation estimates with raingauges indicates a general reduction in both the root mean squared error and the fractional error variance indicating the efficiency and robustness of the procedure. Moreover, the technique presented is not computationally expensive so it seems well suited to be implemented in an operational environment.European Geosciences Union2006info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/27307Articles publicats en revistes (Física Quàntica i Astrofísica)reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UBinstname:InglésReproducció del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-6-697-2006Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 2006, Vol. 6, p. 697-710http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-6-697-2006cc-by-nc-sa, (c) Fornasiero et al., 2006http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/esinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/273072025-07-25T16:43:42Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
title Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
spellingShingle Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
Fornasiero, A.
Observacions meteorològiques
Radar
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Meteorological observations
Radar
Precipitations (Meteorology)
title_short Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
title_full Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
title_fullStr Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
title_full_unstemmed Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
title_sort Enhanced radar precipitation estimates using a combined clutter and beam blockage correction technique
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Fornasiero, A.
Bech, Joan
Alberoni, P. P.
author Fornasiero, A.
author_facet Fornasiero, A.
Bech, Joan
Alberoni, P. P.
author_role author
author2 Bech, Joan
Alberoni, P. P.
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Observacions meteorològiques
Radar
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Meteorological observations
Radar
Precipitations (Meteorology)
topic Observacions meteorològiques
Radar
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Meteorological observations
Radar
Precipitations (Meteorology)
description Weather radar observations are currently the most reliable method for remote sensing of precipitation. However, a number of factors affect the quality of radar observations and may limit seriously automated quantitative applications of radar precipitation estimates such as those required in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data assimilation or in hydrological models. In this paper, a technique to correct two different problems typically present in radar data is presented and evaluated. The aspects dealt with are non-precipitating echoes - caused either by permanent ground clutter or by anomalous propagation of the radar beam (anaprop echoes) - and also topographical beam blockage. The correction technique is based in the computation of realistic beam propagation trajectories based upon recent radiosonde observations instead of assuming standard radio propagation conditions. The correction consists of three different steps: 1) calculation of a Dynamic Elevation Map which provides the minimum clutter-free antenna elevation for each pixel within the radar coverage; 2) correction for residual anaprop, checking the vertical reflectivity gradients within the radar volume; and 3) topographical beam blockage estimation and correction using a geometric optics approach. The technique is evaluated with four case studies in the region of the Po Valley (N Italy) using a C-band Doppler radar and a network of raingauges providing hourly precipitation measurements. The case studies cover different seasons, different radio propagation conditions and also stratiform and convective precipitation type events. After applying the proposed correction, a comparison of the radar precipitation estimates with raingauges indicates a general reduction in both the root mean squared error and the fractional error variance indicating the efficiency and robustness of the procedure. Moreover, the technique presented is not computationally expensive so it seems well suited to be implemented in an operational environment.
publishDate 2006
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2006
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/27307
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/27307
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-6-697-2006
Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 2006, Vol. 6, p. 697-710
http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-6-697-2006
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by-nc-sa, (c) Fornasiero et al., 2006
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/es
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by-nc-sa, (c) Fornasiero et al., 2006
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/es
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv European Geosciences Union
publisher.none.fl_str_mv European Geosciences Union
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Física Quàntica i Astrofísica)
reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
instname:
instname_str
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de la UB
collection Dipòsit Digital de la UB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15.638193

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