X-band polarimetric observations of cross coupling in the ice phase of convective storms in Taiwan

J. C. Hubbert, S. M. Ellis, W. Y. Chang, Y. C. Liou

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15 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper, experimental X-band polarimetric radar data fromsimultaneous transmission of horizontal (H) and vertical (V) polarizations (SHV) are shown, modeled, and microphysically interpreted. Both range-height indicator data and vertical-pointing X-band data from the Taiwan Experimental Atmospheric Mobile-Radar (TEAM-R) are presented. Some of the given X-band data are biased, which is very likely caused by cross coupling of theHandVtransmittedwaves as a result of aligned, canted ice crystals.Modeled SHVdata are used to explain the observed polarimetric signatures. Coincident data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research S-band polarimetric radar (S-Pol) are presented to augment and support the X-band polarimetric observations and interpretations. The polarimetric S-Pol data are obtained via fast-alternating transmission of horizontal and vertical polarizations (FHV), and thus the S-band data are not contaminated by the cross coupling (except the linear depolarization ratio LDR) observed in the X-band data. The radar data reveal that there are regions in the ice phase where electric fields are apparently aligning ice crystals near vertically and thus causing negative specific differential phase Kdp. The vertical-pointing data also indicate the presence of preferentially aligned ice crystals that cause differential reflectivity dr and differential phase fdp to be strong functions of azimuth angle.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1678-1695
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
Volume53
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

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