H13B-1092:
The Latest Progress in the VPR-Identification and Enhancement (VPR-IE) Approach: Incorporate Climatological and Real-time VPR Information from Spaceborne Precipitation Radar to the NOAA MRMS system
Monday, 15 December 2014
Yixin Wen, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus, Norman, OK, United States, Yang Hong, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States, Pierre Kirstetter, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus, CIMMS, Norman, OK, United States, Jonathan J Gourley, National Severe Storms Lab, Oklahoma City, OK, United States and Jian Zhang, National Severe Storms Lab, Norman, OK, United States
Abstract:
In complex terrains, ground radars usually rely on scans at higher elevation angles to observe precipitating systems. The surface quantitative precipitation (QPE) may have considerable errors if vertical structure of precipitation is not considered. It has been realized that the vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) information is very useful for accurately estimating the surface rainfall. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have incorporated VPR information from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) to the Multi-Radar Multi- Sensor system. In the latest progress in the VPR-Identification and Enhancement (VPR-IE) approach, we have optimally combined the climatological VPR information with real-time TRMM-PR observation. Performance of latest hybrid VPR-IE is comprehensively evaluated for the Mountainous West Region of the U.S. Results indicate greater improvements in precipitation estimation following the hybrid VPR-IE methods compared to pure climatological VPR corrections. With the recent availability of GPM Dual-frequency PR, the VPR-IE approach is anticipated to be more robust and more useful by extending to higher latitude mountainous regions.
