Fuzzy logic classification of S-band polarimetric radar echoes to identify three-body scattering and improve data quality

Abstract

The three-body scatter signature (TBSS) is a radar artifact that appears downrange from a high-radarreflectivity core in a thunderstorm as a result of the presence of hailstones. It is useful to identify the TBSS artifact for quality control of radar data used in numerical weather prediction and quantitative precipitation estimation. Therefore, it is advantageous to develop a method to automatically identify TBSS in radar data for the above applications and to help identify hailstones within thunderstorms. In this study, a fuzzy logic classification algorithmfor TBSS identification is developed. Polarimetric radar data collected by the experimental Sband Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) in Norman, Oklahoma (KOUN), are used to develop trapezoidal membership functions for the TBSS class of radar echo within a hydrometeor classification algorithm (HCA). Nearly 3000 radar gates are removed from 50 TBSSs to develop the membership functions from the data statistics. Five variables are investigated for the discrimination of the radar echo: 1) horizontal radar reflectivity factor ZH, 2) differential reflectivity ZDR, 3) copolar cross-correlation coefficient ρhv, 4) alongbeamstandard deviation of horizontal radar reflectivity factor SD(ZH), and 5) along-beamstandard deviation of differential phase SD(ΦDP). These membership functions are added to an HCA to identify TBSSs. Testing is conducted on radar data collected by dual-polarization-upgraded operational WSR-88Ds from multiple severeweather events, and results show that automatic identification of the TBSS through the enhanced HCA is feasible for operational use. © 2014 American Meteorological Society.