Quantitative precipitation estimate by complementary application of X-band polarimetric radar and C-band conventional radar

摘要

In recent years, frequent flood damage and fatalities have occurred due to rising levels in urban rivers. Such floods are characterized by their very local nature and rapid development. To provide warnings about such floods, highly accurate Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPEs) at a high resolution and in real-time are required. Most QPE research involves the combination of data from raingauges and conventional radar. However, there are insufficient real-time data. The X-band polarimetric radar is useful for real-time QPE with high resolution. Compared with long wavelengths, X-band radars have the advantages of finer resolution, smaller-sized antennas, easier mobility (resulting from smaller antennas for the same beam widths), and lower cost. However, X-band radar has a relatively short observation range and is affected by strong signal attenuation during heavy rainfall. This study examines real-time quantitative rainfall estimation by complementary application of X-band polarimetric radar and C-band conventional radar. A comparison with ground raingauge data verifies that the proposed method is in good agreement with gauge data and is more accurate than conventional radar rainfall estimates.