Identification

Title

Evaluating vertical velocity retrievals from vertical vorticity equation constrained dual-doppler analysis of real, rapid-scan radar data

Abstract

Accurate vertical velocity retrieval from dual-Doppler analysis (DDA) is a long-standing problem of radar meteorology. Typical radar scanning strategies poorly observe the vertical component of motion, leading to large uncertainty in vertical velocity estimates. Using a vertical vorticity equation constraint in addition to a mass conservation constraint in DDA has shown promise in improving vertical velocity retrievals. However, observation system simulation experiments (OSSEs) suggest this technique requires rapid radar volume scans to realize the improvements due to the vorticity tendency term in the vertical vorticity constraint. Here, the vertical vorticity constraint DDA is tested with real, rapid-scan radar data to validate prior OSSEs results. Generally, the vertical vorticity constraint DDA produced more accurate vertical velocities from DDAs than those that did not use the constraint. When the time between volume scans was greater than 30 s, the vertical velocity accuracy was significantly affected by the vorticity tendency estimation method. A technique that uses advection correction on provisional DDA wind fields to shorten the discretization interval for the vorticity tendency calculation improved the vertical velocity retrievals for longer times between volume scans. The skill of these DDAs was similar to those using a shorter time between volume scans. These improvements were due to increased accuracy of the vertical vorticity tendency using the advection correction technique. The real radar data tests also revealed that the vertical vorticity constraint DDAs are more forgiving to radar data errors. These results suggest that vertical vorticity constraint DDA with rapid-scan radars should be prioritized for kinematic analyses.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7zp4b0c

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2022-10-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact