Calibration of radar differential reflectivity using quasi-vertical profiles

Abstract

Accurate precipitation estimation with weather radars is essential for hydrological and meteorological applications. The differential reflectivity (ZDR) is a crucial weather radar measurement that helps to improve quantitative precipitation estimates using polarimetric weather radars. However, a system bias between the horizontal and vertical channels generated by the radar produces an offset in ZDR. Existing methods to calibrate ZDR measurements rely on the intrinsic values of the ZDR of natural targets (e.g. drizzle or dry snow) collected at high elevation angles (e.g. higher than 40g or even at 90g), in which ZDR values close to 0gdB are expected. However, not all weather radar systems can scan at such high elevation angles or point the antenna vertically to collect precipitation measurements passing overhead. Therefore, there is a need to develop new methods to calibrate ZDR measurements using lower-elevation scans. In this work, we present and analyse a novel method for correcting and monitoring the ZDR offset using quasi-vertical profiles computed from scans collected at 9g elevations. The method is applied to radar data collected through 1 year of precipitation events by two operational C-band polarimetric weather radars in the UK. The proposed method shows a relative error of 0.1gdB when evaluated against the traditional approach based on ZDR measurements collected at 90g elevations. Additionally, the method is independently assessed using disdrometers located near the radar sites. The results showed a reasonable agreement between disdrometer-derived and radar-calibrated ZDR measurements.