Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulation
<p>Radar Doppler spectra observations provide a wealth of information about cloud and precipitation microphysics and dynamics. The interpretation of these measurements depends on our ability to simulate these observations accurately using a forward model. The effect of small-scale turbulence o...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/16/3727/2023/amt-16-3727-2023.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797745650024054784 |
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| author | Z. Zhu P. Kollias P. Kollias F. Yang |
| author_facet | Z. Zhu P. Kollias P. Kollias F. Yang |
| author_sort | Z. Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Radar Doppler spectra observations provide a wealth of information about cloud and precipitation microphysics and dynamics. The interpretation
of these measurements depends on our ability to simulate these observations
accurately using a forward model. The effect of small-scale turbulence on the radar Doppler spectra shape has been traditionally treated by implementing the convolution process on the hydrometeor reflectivity spectrum and environmental turbulence. This approach assumes that all the particles in the radar sampling volume respond the same to turbulent-scale velocity fluctuations and neglects the particle inertial effect. Here, we investigate the inertial effects of liquid-phase particles on the forward modeled radar Doppler spectra. A physics-based simulation (PBS) is developed to demonstrate that big droplets, with large inertia, are unable to follow the rapid change of the velocity field in a turbulent environment. These findings are incorporated into a new radar Doppler spectra simulator. Comparison between the traditional and newly formulated radar Doppler spectra simulators indicates that the conventional simulator leads to an unrealistic broadening of the spectrum, especially in a strong turbulent environment. This study provides clear evidence to illustrate the droplet inertial effect on radar Doppler spectrum and develops a physics-based simulator framework to accurately emulate the Doppler spectrum for a given droplet size distribution (DSD) in a turbulence field. The proposed simulator has various potential applications for the cloud and precipitation studies, and it provides a valuable tool to decode the cloud microphysical and dynamical properties from Doppler radar observation.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:26:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-03086d8fcf494442b3a40205b0648d0c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:26:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| spelling | doaj.art-03086d8fcf494442b3a40205b0648d0c2023-08-10T13:13:10ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482023-08-01163727373710.5194/amt-16-3727-2023Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulationZ. Zhu0P. Kollias1P. Kollias2F. Yang3Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USAEnvironmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USADivision of Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USAEnvironmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA<p>Radar Doppler spectra observations provide a wealth of information about cloud and precipitation microphysics and dynamics. The interpretation of these measurements depends on our ability to simulate these observations accurately using a forward model. The effect of small-scale turbulence on the radar Doppler spectra shape has been traditionally treated by implementing the convolution process on the hydrometeor reflectivity spectrum and environmental turbulence. This approach assumes that all the particles in the radar sampling volume respond the same to turbulent-scale velocity fluctuations and neglects the particle inertial effect. Here, we investigate the inertial effects of liquid-phase particles on the forward modeled radar Doppler spectra. A physics-based simulation (PBS) is developed to demonstrate that big droplets, with large inertia, are unable to follow the rapid change of the velocity field in a turbulent environment. These findings are incorporated into a new radar Doppler spectra simulator. Comparison between the traditional and newly formulated radar Doppler spectra simulators indicates that the conventional simulator leads to an unrealistic broadening of the spectrum, especially in a strong turbulent environment. This study provides clear evidence to illustrate the droplet inertial effect on radar Doppler spectrum and develops a physics-based simulator framework to accurately emulate the Doppler spectrum for a given droplet size distribution (DSD) in a turbulence field. The proposed simulator has various potential applications for the cloud and precipitation studies, and it provides a valuable tool to decode the cloud microphysical and dynamical properties from Doppler radar observation.</p>https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/16/3727/2023/amt-16-3727-2023.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Z. Zhu P. Kollias P. Kollias F. Yang Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulation Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| title | Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulation |
| title_full | Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulation |
| title_fullStr | Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulation |
| title_short | Particle inertial effects on radar Doppler spectra simulation |
| title_sort | particle inertial effects on radar doppler spectra simulation |
| url | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/16/3727/2023/amt-16-3727-2023.pdf |
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