Possibility of Rainfall Rate Estimation Using Z_DR Alone Measured by a Ku-band Dual-polarization Radar with Simultaneous Reception

Abstract

The Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) has developed a simultaneous reception Ku-band dual-polarization radar. Simultaneous reception can give high accuracy of the differential reflectivity (Z_DR) measurement from fewer averaged samples because of a good correlation between simultaneously sampled horizontal and vertical reflectivity. This paper pursues the possibility of estimating the rainfall rate using Z_DR alone by comparison with a conventional polarimetric radar algorithm using Z_DR and Z_H on the assumption of the data handling of a CRL's dual-polarization radar. A computer simulation based on a physical raindrop model is used to pursue this possibility. The results show that estimating the rainfall rate using Z_DR alone is not a good method.