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Dual‐frequency radar ratio of nonspherical atmospheric hydrometeors
Author(s) -
Matrosov S. Y.,
Heymsfield A. J.,
Wang Z.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2005gl023210
Subject(s) - radar , environmental science , precipitation , remote sensing , rayleigh scattering , meteorology , geology , physics , optics , computer science , telecommunications
Dual‐frequency cloud and precipitation radar systems are being actively developed and installed on different platforms. The use of two radar frequencies (with at least one frequency outside the Rayleigh type of scattering for hydrometeors of interest) allows independent estimates of hydrometeor effective size. With these estimates, radar‐based retrievals of such important parameters as cloud mass content or precipitation rate can be potentially performed with better accuracy compared to single‐ frequency radar measurements. This study presents quantitative assessments of the effects of nonsphericity of ice cloud particles which influence the dual‐frequency ratio used for characteristic size estimates.