Kneifel et al (2016)

First evaluation of the synergistic use of multifrequency and Doppler radar observations to constrain snow microphysics

Authors

Stefan Kneifel et al.

Papers

Kneifel, S.Kollias, P.Battaglia, A.Leinonen, J.Maahn, M.Kalesse, H., and Tridon, F. (2016), First observations of triple‐frequency radar Doppler spectra in snowfall: Interpretation and applicationsGeophys. Res. Lett.432225– 2233, doi:10.1002/2015GL067618.

The potential of multifrequency Doppler spectra to constrain precipitation microphysics has so far only been exploited for dual‐frequency spectra in rain. In this study, we extend the dual‐frequency concept to triple‐frequency Doppler radar spectra obtained during a snowfall event which included rimed and unrimed snow aggregates. A large selection of spectra obtained from low‐turbulence regions within the cloud reveals distinctly different signatures of the derived dual spectral ratios. Due to the third frequency, a characteristic curve can be derived which is almost independent of the underlying particle size distribution and velocity‐size relation. This approach provides new opportunities for validating existing and future snow scattering models and reveals how the information content of triple‐frequency radar data sets can be further exploited for snowfall studies.

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