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Multiple radar systems represent an attractive option for target tracking because they can significantly enlarge the area coverage and improve both the probability of trajectory detection and the localization accuracy. The presence of multiple extended targets or weak targets is a challenge for multiple radar systems. Moreover, their performance may be severely deteriorated by regions characterized by a high clutter density. In this article, an algorithm for detection and tracking of multiple targets, extended or weak, based on measurements provided by multiple radars in an environment with heavily cluttered regions, is proposed. The proposed method features three stages. In the first stage, past measurements are exploited to build a spatiotemporal clutter map in each radar; a weight is then assigned to each measurement to assess its significance. In the second stage, a track-before-detect algorithm, based on a weighted 3-D Hough transform, is applied to obtain target tracklets. In the third stage, a low-complexity tracklet association method, exploiting a lion reproduction model, is applied to associate tracklets of the same target. Three experiments are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The first experiment is based on synthetic data, the second one is based on actual data from a radar network with two homogeneous air surveillance radars, and the third one is based on actual data from a radar network with four different marine surveillance radars. The results reveal that the proposed method can outperform competing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a directive antenna for borehole radar using a horizontally polarized wave in a vertical borehole. This antenna is an array of several horizontal loop antennas, arranged vertically. When a plane wave is incident on the antenna, the differences in arrival times at the array elements enable us to estimate the direction of arrival (DOA). We present a simple model representing the arrival time difference and propose an algorithm for DOA estimation. Furthermore, we synthesized the array signal by analyzing the electromagnetic field using the method of moments (MoM) and applied the proposed algorithm to the signal. We found that mutual coupling between antenna elements affects the DOA estimation and that a space of about 3 cm between antenna elements prevents mutual coupling. Using the MoM analysis, we simulated a cross-hole measurement to demonstrate the antenna’s ability. We carried out field experiments in wet soil to examine the antenna’s ability. The proposed loop array antenna in a water-filled borehole received a direct wave from a source in another borehole. After applying the proposed algorithm to the measured data, we found that we could estimate the DOAs to the source with an error of less than 15° in the azimuth angle and 10° in the elevation angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The X-band dual-polarization radar can provide raindrop size distribution (DSD) data at a continuous spatiotemporal scale; however, the traditional empirical-formula-based DSD retrieval methods for X-band radar are limited by high uncertainty and poor generality such as differences due to rainfall type, seasons, and geographical environment. This study identified strong correlations between polarimetric radar variables and various climatic and geographical elements. Two random-forest-based DSD retrieval models, one using only X-band radar parameters as the model input (RF-DSD) and the other containing multielement inputs as well (RF-M-DSD), were established using datasets from 18 sites in China. This study also evaluated the proposed models using different error indices over three test sites. Compared with the traditional DSD retrieval model for X-band dual-polarization radar, RF-DSD and RF-M-DSD showed improved predictive ability for all DSD parameters. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) values for $D_{0}$ (median volume diameter parameter), ${\text {log}}_{10}N_{w}$ (normalized intercept parameter), and $\mu $ (shape parameter) were 27%, 55%, and 39% lower, respectively, for RF-DSD, and 48%, 68%, and 43% lower, respectively, for RF-M-DSD. Finally, the DSD retrieval models were applied on one CLA-12A X-band radar in the Jiangsu Province. The DSD retrieval results suggest that the proposed models perform well on radar observation data with low uncertainty especially for $D_{0}$ and ${\text {log}}_{10}N_{w}$. Summary reveals that the RF-M-DSD performs superior and has stable DSD retrieval capabilities across different geographical areas, which can provide reliable radar-DSD retrieval data for areas with scarce disdrometer data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new algorithm is proposed, which estimates two parameters of the particle size distribution (PSD) at each range bin from the global precipitation measurement’s (GPM’s) dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) data. The equation that expresses the relationship of the PSD parameters between adjacent range bins is derived. By including the attenuation effect within the bin in the discretized equation, the new algorithm alleviates the double-solution problem when attenuation within the bin is sufficiently large. The stability of the solutions to the equation depends on the value of the mean diameter $D_{m}$ and its gradient with respect to the range in the case of liquid precipitation. There is a critical diameter above which the backward processing of the equation provides a stable or moderately diverging solution, unlike the forward processing that often gives unstable solutions. To provide a set of initial conditions without using the surface reference technique (SRT) in the backward processing, an initialization method using the Hitschfeld–Bordan (HB) attenuation correction method is proposed and tested. The proposed algorithm may provide a tool for investigating the assumptions used in various algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a comprehensive technique for calibrating wideband frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) fully polarimetric radars employing linear FM (LFM) signal chirps. A detailed system distortion model is developed that accounts for both polarimetric distortions and distortions caused by nonlinearities in the transmitted and received radar chirps over multiple polarization channels. Using the radar responses of two point targets at known distances from the radar, the calibration technique is able to estimate the range-dependent nonlinearities in phase and correct them for all targets at all ranges. This allows the radar to achieve its ideal range resolution. In addition, the calibration technique corrects for channel imbalances in the polarimetric radar using a metallic sphere of known diameter and any depolarizing target. Both numeric simulations and actual polarimetric radar measurements using a wideband FMCW radar operating over 76.5–82 GHz were used to validate the calibration technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations and analysis from the first airborne deployment of a G-band atmospheric radar, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s vapor in-cloud profiling radar (VIPR), are presented with a focus on ocean surface scatterometry and water vapor retrievals using the differential absorption radar (DAR) technique. We assess transceiver cross-calibration stability between the two DAR frequency channels using a combination of ground-based calibration measurements and airborne cloud observations that are validated by independent sensors. By comparing calibrated, unattenuated ocean surface backscatter measurements with existing models, we demonstrate the need for improvements in treating ocean surface scattering at G-band frequencies for future in-flight radar calibration applications. During science-oriented flights off the coast of California, we demonstrate partial column integrated water vapor (IWV) measurement capabilities with 0.3-mm precision in clear sky by performing a descent maneuver over an operational radiosonde (RS) launching site and comparing with the coincident in situ profiles to find a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.5 mm. Furthermore, we present water vapor profiling and IWV measurements in the presence of clouds and precipitation when flying through a frontal weather system in the vicinity of Bodega Bay. By comparing with coincident RS profiles, we find an RMSE for in-cloud humidity profile retrievals of 1.1 ${\rm gm}^{-3}$ and precision of 0.6 ${\rm gm}^{-3}$ while the IWV retrievals reveal a bias from differential hydrometeor extinction of 5 mm. We provide a critical assessment of cloud-scattering-induced biases in the water vapor retrievals, as well as discuss a potential method for eliminating systematic error from the DAR measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the yield estimation of vineyards from using a mobile millimeter-wave radar system. The proximal radar sensor is a 122-GHz FM-CW radar mounted on a rover that moves along the furrows between vine plants. The proposed yield estimation is based on the classification of radar echoes measured for various grape varieties, for different meteorological conditions, and at different stages of grape development. As yield estimation errors are found to be lower than 10%, the proposed radar technique is suitable for precision viticulture applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinearity of gravity-capillary waves (GCWs) plays an important role in the wind wave dynamics and in microwave scattering from the sea surface. This study is aimed to investigate in wave tank experiment characteristics of nonlinear features of mechanically generated centimeter-decimeter-wavelength GCW—parasitic capillary ripples (PCRs) and bulge/toe structures, and their contribution in microwave radar return. An optical method of visualization of GCW profile with high spatial resolution was developed to study GCW profile and Ka-band Doppler scatterometer was used to measure backscattering at vertical (VV) and horizontal (HH) polarizations. Dependencies of PCR slopes and bulge curvature on steepness of dm-scale GCW have been obtained and indicated sharp growth in the vicinity of the limiting steepness of order 0.3. PCR slopes and bulge curvature both decreased in the presence of film, but PCR appeared to be stronger suppressed by film than the bulges. The velocities of microwave scatterers retrieved from radar Doppler shifts were found to be consistent with the phase velocities of 4-Hz GCW, but smaller for GCW of lower frequencies. Both the phase velocities and the scatterer’s velocities slowly increased with GCW steepness. Polarization ratio (PR) values decrease with GCW steepness and in the presence of film, thus indicating the enhanced relative contribution of nonpolarized scattering for very steep GCW and when film is applied on the water surface. We consider that the aforementioned results can be explained under an assumption that PCR contributes mostly to Bragg scattering component, while bulge/toe structures contribute to nonpolarized scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine X-band radar has been suggested to be capable of monitoring significant wave heights in both offshore and open sea areas. In contrast to studies on offshore radar, significant wave height estimations from coastal radar images, which exhibit complicated radar backscattering features, have received little attention. This study proposes a method for retrieving the significant wave height from coastal areas that are often influenced by nononshore winds. The square root of the signal-to-noise ratio in radar images has been widely applied to estimate the significant wave height. However, nononshore wind cases show a poor correlation between the square root of the signal-to-noise ratio and the in situ significant wave height. In addition, the spectral shapes from radar images in nononshore wind cases are very different from those in onshore wind cases. To improve the significant wave height estimations from coastal radar images, we implement an artificial neural network algorithm. After training and testing the algorithm, we confirm that the estimated significant wave heights are more reliable for both onshore and nononshore wind cases if the square root of the signal-to-noise ratio, power from nearshore radar subimages, and in situ wind components are included in the input layer of the neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensitivity of PAZ’s Polarimetric Radio Occultation (PRO) observations to horizontally oriented frozen particles is assessed using coincident measurements from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite’s radiometer GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) and ancillary information from Cloudsat. The difference between the horizontal and vertical polarizations of the GMI observed radiances at 166 GHz, indicative of horizontally oriented particles, is compared with the PAZ differential phase shift observations. A clear positive trend is observed, exhibiting a good correlation between the two observations. The radiometer absolute observations and polarization differences (PD) are then used to build a lookup table of ice water content (IWC) vertical profiles, using coincident observations between GPM and Cloudsat. The vertical profiles of IWC, along with the information of the radiometric PDs and some simple assumptions, are used to simulate the expected PAZ differential phase shift observations. The validation with the PAZ and GPM coincident measurements shows a high correlation between the simulated and observed differential phase shift, therefore proving the sensitivity of polarimetric radio occultations to horizontally oriented frozen particles. These results demonstrate that PRO can not only sense the precipitation near the surface (the original goal of the mission) but also the frozen particles near and well above the freezing level, providing additional detail of the cloud vertical structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new high-resolution snow depth data on Arctic sea ice derived from airborne microwave radar measurements from the IceBird campaigns of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) together with a new retrieval method using signal peakiness based on an intercomparison exercise of colocated data at different altitudes. We aim to demonstrate the capabilities and potential improvements of radar data, which were acquired at a lower altitude (200 ft) and slower speed (110 kn) and had a smaller radar footprint size (2-m diameter) than previous airborne snow radar data. So far, AWI Snow Radar data have been derived using a 2–18-GHz ultrawideband frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar in 2017–2019. Our results show that our method in combination with thorough calibration through coherent noise removal and system response deconvolution significantly improves the quality of the radar-derived snow depth data. The validation against a 2-D grid of in situ snow depth measurements on level landfast first-year ice indicates a mean bias of only 0.86 cm between radar and ground truth. Comparison between the radar-derived snow depth estimates from different altitudes shows good consistency. We conclude that the AWI Snow Radar aboard the IceBird campaigns is able to measure the snow depth on Arctic sea ice accurately at higher spatial resolution than but consistent with the existing airborne snow radar data of NASA Operation IceBridge. Together with the simultaneous measurements of the total ice thickness and surface freeboard, the IceBird campaign data will be able to describe the whole sea-ice column on regional scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ground-based radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) faces various challenges including the overestimation caused by the bright band (BB) in the stratiform region and the underestimation in mountainous areas when the terrain-enhanced precipitation occurs at the levels below ground-based radar measurements. The vertical precipitation structure provided by spaceborne radars, i.e., the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) and the Global Precipitation Measurement mission (GPM) Dual-frequency PR (DPR), is valuable for mitigating the above problems. Since the spaceborne radars and ground-based radars usually operate in different frequencies, e.g., the TRMM PR and the KuPR of GPM DPR work in Ku-band (13.8 and 13.6 GHz, respectively) and the ground-based radars in western China work in C-band (5.4 GHz), the reflectivity conversion from Ku-band to C-band is necessary before the vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) measured by spaceborne radars can be utilized to improve the ground-based radar QPE in western China. This study presents a conversion method using GPM DPR measurements, i.e., the drop size distribution (DSD) for different precipitation types (the stratiform with/without BB and the convective cases) and particle phases (the solid, melting, and liquid). Using the T-matrix method, the reflectivity difference between Ku-band and C-band is found and the Ku-band to C-band conversion relations are derived with the linear regression. These conversion relations have been validated by matching and comparing the converted C-band reflectivity with the C-band ground-based radar measurements. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the conversion. This method can be extended for the reflectivity conversion in other frequencies and can facilitate the incorporation of reflectivity measurements from various instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the characteristics of dual-polarized weather radar variables as observed by a planar phased-array radar (PPAR) operating at X-band. The characteristics are governed by the projection of the polarizations radiated by the array into the canonical spherical coordinates defining the measurement geometry of ground-based weather radars. The direction-dependent gain and phase of the radiating elements, the orientation of the radiated polarizations, and the mechanical tilting of the array all contribute to the projection, which results in biased observations compared with those of a mechanically scanned weather radar employing a reflector antenna. We decompose the projection into components that can be separated and customized for various PPAR configurations, including consideration of possible cross-polarized radiation by the elements and the effect of a wet radome covering the array face. These are represented by matrices whose product comprises the total projection. We apply this methodology to an X-band PPAR using in-place measurements of precipitation to obtain the properties of the radiation pattern. We then obtain the resulting biases of common weather radar polarimetric variables. We show that the biases can be represented as a product of the intrinsic variables with projection- and target-dependent corrections. The projection-dependent corrections depend only upon elements of the projection matrix, while the target-dependent corrections also depend upon the intrinsic differential reflectivity and copolar or cross-polar correlation coefficients. We find that the projection-dependent corrections are sufficient to achieve acceptable bias over most of the scan range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a lightweight radar that autonomously measures snow depth over sea ice from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Development of this snow radar and its integration with an octocopter UAV is presented. Field trials of the UAV-mounted snow radar, conducted in Antarctica during the summer season of 2017/2018, are also described. The radar allows measurements of snow depths on sea ice between 10 and 100 cm. Additional reflections due to internal layers within the snow are evident at a few measurement points. The snow radar is evaluated for various flight parameters: stationary; flying at speeds between 1 and 3 m/s, and at heights from 5 to 15 m. Evaluation of snow-depth results indicates that a depth accuracy of ±3.2 cm is achieved with stationary measurements, and of ±9.1 cm with measurements at the various flight speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we propose a phase-derived velocity measurement (PDVM) method for high-speed spatial targets based on the stepped-frequency chirp signal (SFCS). This method is capable of accurately measuring the velocity of high-speed targets and yields root-mean-squared error values at the level of centimeters per second; therefore, it has great potential for measuring the micromotion of targets and is of significant importance for target recognition. The traditional phase-derived measurement method is not applicable for high-speed targets. The main challenge that we have solved is how to extract the echo phase from the high-resolution range profile, which is corrupted by range migration, intrapulse motion, and range straddling under high-speed target conditions. To guide the implementation of the proposed method in radar systems, constraint conditions for the compensation accuracy are thoroughly derived and systematically justified under different radar parameter settings. The simulation results are presented to validate the high accuracy of the method under various circumstances. In addition, the small-amplitude micromotion measurement capability of the proposed method is verified, and reconstruction of the target micromotion trajectory is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VIPR (vapor in-cloud profiling radar) is a tunable G-band radar designed for humidity and cloud remote sensing. VIPR uses all-solid-state components and operates in a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar mode, offering a transmit power of 200–300 mW. Its typical chirp bandwidth of 10 MHz over a center-frequency tuning span of 167–174.8 GHz results in a nominal range resolution of 15 m. The radar’s measured noise figure over the transmit band is between 7.4 and 10.4 dB, depending on its frequency and hardware configuration, and its calculated antenna gain is 58 dB. These parameters mean that with typical 1 ms chirp times, single-pulse cloud reflectivities as low as −26 dBZ are detectable with unity signal-to-noise at 5 km. Experimentally, radar returns from ice clouds above 10 km in height have been observed from the ground. VIPR’s absolute sensitivity was validated using a spherical metal target in the radar antenna’s far-field, and a G-band switch has been implemented in an RF calibration loop for periodic recalibration. The radar achieves high sensitivity with thermal noise limited detection both by virtue of its low-noise RF architecture and by using a quasioptical duplexing method that preserves ultrahigh transmit/receive isolation despite operation in an FMCW mode with a single primary antenna shared by the transmitter and receiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the first results obtained from the Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) instrument carried by the China France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT), which was launched on October 29, 2018. SWIM is a Ku-band radar with a near-nadir scanning beam geometry. It was designed to measure the spectral properties of surface ocean waves. First, the good behavior of the instrument is illustrated. It is then shown that the nadir products (significant wave height, normalized radar cross section, and wind speed) exhibit an accuracy similar to standard altimeter missions, thanks to a new retracking algorithm, which compensates a lower sampling rate compared to standard altimetry missions. The off-nadir beam observations are analyzed in detail. The normalized radar cross section varies with incidence and wind speed as expected from previous studies presented in the literature. We illustrate that, in order to retrieve the wave spectra from the radar backscattering fluctuations, it is crucial to apply a speckle correction derived from the observations. Directional spectra of ocean waves and their mean parameters are then compared to wave model data at the global scale and to in situ data from a selection of case studies. The good efficiency of SWIM to provide the spectral properties of ocean waves in the wavelength range [70–500 m] is illustrated. The main limitations are discussed, and the perspectives to improve the data quality are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, as part of an effort to study snowfall characteristics and quantify winter precipitation in East China, we investigated the microphysical properties of snowfall, including size, shape, density, and terminal velocity using a 2-D video disdrometer (2-DVD) and a weighing precipitation gauge in Nanjing (NJ), East China during the winters of 2015–2019. We obtained larger snow density and terminal velocity values than those reported in the literature for this region. Higher snow density could account for higher snowflake terminal velocity, after removing the effects of observation altitude and surface temperature. We then fit the snow particle size distributions (PSDs) to the gamma model and explored the interrelationships among the model parameters and snowfall rate (SR). The relationship between radar reflectivity factor ($Z_{e}$) and SR was derived based on snow PSD measurements and the snow density relation. Using this $Z_{e}-\mathrm {SR}$ relationship, the estimated liquid-equivalent SRs are obtained from S-band NJ radar data collected during several snowfall events. Radar-inferred SRs showed reasonable agreement with those measured on the ground, with a mean absolute error of 16% for the collected snowfall events in NJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-range forecasts (nowcasts) of rainfall facilitate providing early warning of severe rainfall and flooding, which is particularly important in densely populated urban areas. Nowcasts are conventionally obtained by the extrapolation of radar echoes from a constant altitude plan position indicator (CAPPI) or lowest-angle plan position indicator (PPI). Lacking a model for growth or decay, this approach has a limited ability to forecast the summertime convective storms. In a previous attempt to address this shortcoming, called RadVil, the predicted surface rain rate is obtained from mass balance equations of vertically integrated liquid (VIL) retrieved from volumetric reflectivity measurements. Predicting the growth and decay has also been attempted by using an autoregressive (AR) model, which led to the development of spectral prognosis (S-PROG). A novel combination of these two methodologies, called ANVIL, is proposed. In this approach, the growth and decay of VIL are modeled by an autoregressive integrated (ARI) process. It is shown that the predictability of growth and decay is scale-dependent. Thus, the key idea of ANVIL is to decompose the VIL into multiple spatial scales and apply a separate ARI model to each scale. The operational feasibility of ANVIL is evaluated using the Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD)/WSR-88D radar that covers the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The evaluation is done using ten convective events in 2018 and 2019. Using several verification metrics, it is shown that ANVIL has up to 25% improved skill compared to conventional nowcasting techniques. The improvement is consistent for a wide range of spatial scales (1–11 km) and rain rate thresholds (5–20 mmh−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling L-band backscatter from a corn canopy continues to be a challenge due to the complex dynamics in both plant phenology and the underlying soil. An experiment has been conducted to better understand the relationship between L-band backscatter and canopy parameters such as soil moisture, vegetation water content, dew, and periodic rows. The experiment consists of field measurements that take into account plant phenology and are concurrent with L-band backscatter returns from a corn canopy over a full growing season. The field measurements of the corn plants’ constituents highlight modeling complexities, such as an inhomogeneity in the dielectric constant of the stalk and cobs. A simple method to replace the stalk and cob with a homogeneous dielectric constant is validated. Using the field measurements in a scattering model developed at George Washington University (GW), both coherent and incoherent backscatter are computed. The results show coherent effects contributing to enhanced backscatter by up to 2.7 dB for both HH-pol and VV-pol. The coherent model and the detailed measurements, especially, the dielectric constant of the stalks, resulted in good agreement with the measurements. These measurements have an average root mean square difference (RMSD) with the results from the coherent model of around 1 dB for both HH-pol and VV-pol over the entire growing season. The incoherent mode does not perform as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical and accurate estimation of 3-D wind fields is an ongoing challenge in radar meteorology. Multistatic (single transmitter/multiple receivers) radar architectures offer a cost-effective solution for obtaining the multiple Doppler measurements necessary to achieve such estimates. Existing multistatic weather radars, while less costly than comparable monostatic networks, have been constrained by the need for specialized equipment and software to perform frequency and pulse timing synchronization with the transmitting radar. This article describes the implementation of a passive radar network that performs pulse timing and carrier frequency synchronization through measurements of the sidelobe radiation of the transmitting radar. This makes it possible for the receiver modules to be constructed with minimal size and cost, and it allows for their use in coordination with any in-band transmitter capable of recording time-stamped pointing angle information. A prototype network consisting of two passive receivers has been constructed in the Oklahoma City, OK, USA. Weather observations collected using the radiation from a WSR-88D have been used to validate the accuracy of velocity measurements obtained through this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shore-based coherent microwave radar and high-frequency (HF) surface wave radar are two components of a rapidly emerging set of technologies suitable for ocean wave remote sensing. To investigate their differences, this paper describes and analyzes the relationship between the water particle velocity and the wave height spectrum based on linear wave theory which underpins the algorithms developed for the analysis of data collected by coherent microwave radar. The backscatter mechanism which addresses the interaction of the HF radio waves with the ocean surface waves, as well as the empirical method adopted in our HF radar is also presented. The wave characteristics observed by the shore-based coherent S-band radar [Microwave Ocean Remote SEnsor (MORSE)] are analyzed. A multifrequency HF (MHF) radar based on a circular receiving array, which is capable of sensing waves up to 100-km offshore, is also introduced. An intercomparison of the wave height measurements obtained from the MORSE, MHF radar, and wave buoy is made. The comparison indicates that the wave heights measured by the MORSE and the MHF radar are consistent with the buoy-derived wave heights, with the root-mean-square differences (RMSDs) of 0.27 and 0.37 m, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orbit of the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) satellite was boosted from 350 to 402.5 km in August 2001 to extend its lifetime by conserving fuel. Since the timing between transmission and reception by the precipitation radar (PR) onboard the TRMM satellite was a fixed constant for measurement from an original altitude of 350 km, the PR encountered a mismatch between the transmitting and receiving beams after the TRMM orbit boost. Although the PR algorithm in TRMM Version 7 employs a correction for the beam mismatch, its error remains as an underestimation of the precipitation estimates near surface in the second half of the swath. This paper aims to mitigate the beam-mismatch correction error in Version 7. The beam-mismatch correction needs to estimate the radar echo that would be measured in the virtual intermediate beam between the beam in question and the previous adjacent beam. The beam-mismatch correction developed in this paper assumes that the surface and precipitation echoes change linearly in the horizontal direction in parallel to the surface between the two beams. The new correction is tested with observational data, indicating that the method improves the accuracy of the correction at off-nadir angles. Statistics of the surface normalized radar cross sections and the bright band peak intensities at off-nadir angles are improved using the method. The asymmetric bias of the precipitation estimates with respect to the scan angle in Version 7 is mitigated by 95.9% over ocean and 72.5% over land with the new correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies indicate that the poor antenna sidelobe level of phased-array high-frequency (HF) radars degrades the performance of Bragg ratio estimation for wind direction measurements. To explore this issue, this paper improves the previous model of wind direction estimation for phased-array HF radars, and the effect of unsatisfactory array patterns on Bragg ratio estimation is theoretically analyzed. Moreover, a hybrid beam-forming and direction-finding method, in which wind direction is measured by reducing the influence of unsatisfactory array patterns on Bragg ratio estimation, is proposed for multifrequency HF radars installed along the coast of Zhejiang Province in China. The procedure for implementing this scheme is also presented in detail. Wind directions derived from 8.05-, 10.7-, 16.8-, and 19.2-MHz radar data are compared with measurements collected with anemometers at three sampling locations to verify the proposed method, and the measurements with root-mean-square errors from 19.5° to 26.6° show that this strategy is effective for wind direction measurements. We recommend adopting the proposed method or using similar approaches to estimate wind direction based on HF radars, especially in situations where the array pattern is not sufficiently narrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary concern of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy of drop size distribution (DSD) retrievals for the rain region using global precipitation measurement (GPM) dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR). Direct comparison between ground and spaceborne radar might answer the question, but unfortunately, this is a difficult and challenging task that can result in largely unmeasurable uncertainty. In this paper, the self-consistent numerical method (SNM) was used to estimate microphysical parameters along rain profiles. The assessment of the SNM performance characterizes its accuracy in the microphysics retrieval. It follows that the profile data set used for the evaluation plays an important role in this process. The ideal solution would be to use real conditions. For this purpose, a new approach for providing vertical profiles closer to the natural vertical variability of rainfall microphysical characteristics and its global vertical structure can be derived from the observations of NASA dual-frequency, dual-polarization, Doppler radar (D3R)—a matched-beam, $\textit {Ku}$ - and $\textit {Ka}$ -band dual-frequency radar that is similar to the precipitation radar (DPR) on board the GPM core satellite. The profile data set was generated using reflectivity measurements collected in RHI mode, after correcting them for attenuation using the polarimetric measurements of the $\textit {Ku}$ -band. With this data set, the behavior of SNM is evaluated in the presence of the inaccuracy introduced by taking the constant value of $\mu $ and the measurement errors. The entire version 4 of the GPM DPR precipitation products obtained with data collected from September 1, 2014 to February 28, 2017 was used. In the presence of bright-band features, the rain region of matched scans, for which measurements were simultaneously collected by $\textit {Ku}$ - and $\textit {Ka}$ -band radars, was employed to retrieve DSD parameters with SNM and GPM algorithms. A direct comparison between the two procedures was performed in terms of merit factors. The results show a significant difference between the performance of the two methods by not taking into consideration the SNM procedures that, instead, are being performed by the GPM algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate information about ocean surface currents is of high importance for many purposes. Traditional ways of measuring surface currents using instruments immersed in water are associated with various challenges, as well as high installation and maintenance costs. Algorithms and hardware used to measure surface currents based on marine X-band radar images have been steadily improved during the recent decades. Such systems can now provide the user with current measurements with high accuracy in local areas of interest and with no need for underwater equipment, both from fixed sites and from moving installations, such as vessels. The primary focus of the work presented in this paper is to examine the measurement accuracy of an X-band radar-based system. For this purpose, field trials have been arranged and data acquired from a fixed platform in the North Sea in November 2015 and December 2015 and from a research vessel in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea in November 2016. Data are analyzed, measured time series are compared to reference measurements and tidal current models, and statistical estimates of the measurement accuracy are calculated. Root-mean-square measurement errors of 0.032 m/s and 9.1° for magnitude and direction, respectively, are estimated for the fixed installation. Correlation coefficients are 0.93 and 0.94 for east–west and north–south components, respectively. A pooled standard deviation of 0.059 m/s is estimated for the moving installation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the surface waves investigation and monitoring (SWIM) instrument which will be one of the two payload instruments carried by China France Oceanography SATellite (CFOSAT) with a planned launch date in mid-2018. SWIM is a real aperture wave scatterometer operated at near-nadir incidence angles and dedicated to the measurement of directional spectra of ocean waves. The SWIM flight model is currently being assembled and tested, its performance is being assessed and its prototype data processing algorithm is being developed. The aim of this paper is to provide a complete overview on the motivations and scientific requirements of this mission, together with a description of the design and characteristics of the SWIM instrument, and the analysis of its expected performances based on a prelaunch study. An end-to-end simulator has been developed to evaluate the quality of the data products, thus allowing the overall performance of the instrument to be assessed. Simulations run with two subsets of full orbit subsets show that the performances of the instrument and the inversion algorithms will meet the scientific requirements for the mission. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of a Ku-band and Ka-band spaceborne/airborne dual-wavelength radar algorithm to discriminate various phase states of precipitating hydrometeors. A phase-state classification algorithm has been developed from the radar measurements of snow, mixed phase, and rain obtained from stratiform storms. The algorithm, which is presented in the form of a lookup table that links the Ku-band radar reflectivity and dual-frequency ratio to the phase states of hydrometeors, is checked by applying it to the measurements of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, using Airborne Precipitation Radar Second Generation (APR-2). In creating the statistically based phase lookup table, the attenuation-corrected (or true) radar reflectivity factors are employed, leading to better accuracy in determining the hydrometeor phase. In practice, however, the true radar reflectivity is not always available before the phase states of the hydrometeors are determined. Therefore, it is desirable to make use of the measured radar reflectivity in classifying the phase states. To do this, phase identification that uses only measured radar reflectivity is proposed. The procedure is then tested using APR-2 airborne radar data. The analysis of the classification results in stratiform rain indicates that the regions of snow, mixed phase, and rain derived from the phase identification algorithm coincide reasonably well with those determined from the measured radar reflectivity and linear depolarization ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Launched in September 2014, RapidScat is currently operating on the International Space Station (ISS). RapidScat estimates ocean vector winds via the measurement of the normalized radar coefficient $(\sigma^0)$ of the ocean's surface. Measurements are also collected over land. The ISS orbit permits, for the first time, the observation of the diurnal variation in Ku-band $\sigma^0$ at mid- to high-incidence angles. To complement calibration efforts over the ocean, in this paper the calibration and validation of the $\sigma^0$ measurements are performed using natural land targets, namely the Amazon and Congo rainforests. The diurnal $\sigma^0$ cycle of the targets is estimated with respect to incidence angle, azimuth angle, and season using measurements from previous sensors. Understanding this diurnal backscatter response enables the comparison of RapidScat measurements with measurements from the QuikSCAT, NASA Scatterometer, SeaWinds, and Oceansat-II scatterometers. RapidScat $\sigma^0$ measurements are found to be consistent but biased low compared to those of QuikSCAT by up to 0.3 dB. The effectiveness of slice balancing is evaluated and found to be dependent on the pitch of the ISS. Extreme pitches of the ISS are also found to introduce azimuth dependencies in egg measurements. By accounting for seasonal and diurnal cycles, we find that the rainforests are well suited for scatterometer sensor cross-calibration, even for disjoint years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the method developed for rain flagging over oceans using radar backscatter and noise-equivalent brightness temperature (TB) measured by a Ku-band pencil-beam scatterometer launched onboard the Oceansat-2 (OS2) satellite. The OS2 scatterometer (OSCAT) measures radar backscatter and TB by its two pencil-beam antennas at local incidence angles of ∼49° (inner) and ∼57° (outer) in horizontal and vertical polarizations, respectively. These measurements are affected by rain and heavy clouds, in addition to the ocean surface winds, thus affecting retrieval of wind vectors. The characteristics of TB at OSCAT specifications have been studied based on radiative transfer simulations. The horizontally polarized TB is observed to be sensitive to both wind speed and rain, whereas the vertically polarized TB (TBV), typically at 57°, is found to be insensitive to ocean surface wind speed but is sensitive to rain, indicating its typical utility for rain flagging. As the retrievals of wind vectors are affected by rain, then so are the associated cost functions and their characteristics under rain-free and rainy situations. A combined use of TBV and retrieval cost functions has been made for rain flagging needed in wind directional-ambiguity removal, as well as tagging the retrieval quality. A data-driven dynamical method has been developed to specifically utilize TBV for supporting rain detection in view of the slow temporal drift found in the OSCAT TB data. Rain flags have been generated from OSCAT 25-km grid L2A (Version 1.4) data for the period from November 2009 to August 2010, and the results of comparison with Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Precipitation Radar 2A25 data are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]