Systematic variation of drop size and radar-rainfall relations

Abstract

Time histories of the characteristics of the drop size distribution of surface disdrometer measurements collected at Kapingamarangi Atoll were partitioned for several storms using rain rate R, reflectivity factor Z, and median diameter of the distribution of water content D0. This partitioning produced physically based systematic variations of the drop size distribution (DSD) and Z-R relations in accord with the precipitation types viewed simultaneously by a collocated radar wind profiler. These variations encompass the complete range of scatter around the mean Z-R relations previously reported by Tokay and Short [1996] for convective and stratiform rain and demonstrate that the scatter is not random. The systematic time or space variations are also consistent with the structure of mesoscale convective complexes with a sequence of convective, transition, and stratiform rain described by various authors. There is a distinct inverse relation between the coefficient A and the exponent of the Z-R relations which has been obscured in prior work because of the lack of proper discrimination of the rain types. Contrary to previous practice it is evident that there is also a distinct difference in the DSD and the Z-R relations between the initial convective and the trailing transition zones. The previously reported Z-R relation for convective rain is primarily representative of the transition rain that was included in the convective class. The failure of present algorithms to distinguish between the initial convective and the trailing transition rains causes an erroneous apportionment of the diabatic heating and cooling and defeats the primary intent of discriminating stratiform from convective rains. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.