RAINMICROPHYS

Rain Microphysics Study with Disdrometer and Polarization Radar

28 April 2005 - 30 June 2005

Lead Scientist: Guifu Zhang

Observatory: OSC

Understanding rain microphysics is important for accurate rainfall rate estimation and for improving parameterization in numerical weather prediction (NWP). The NCAR video disdrometer was installed at the ARM site at the Kessler farm. The disdrometer was also put side-by-side with the NSSL disdrometer for comparison/calibration and to study sampling effects. The disdrometer observations were used to verify KOUN polarimeteric radar measurements, to develop retrieval algorithms, to study rain microphysics, and to derive improved parameterization schemes for NWP models.