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In order to improve the understanding of the microphysical characteristics of raindrop size distribution (DSD) under different rainfall rates (R) classes, and broaden the knowledge of the impact of radar wavelengths and R classes on the QPE of dual-polarization radars in the Tianshan Mountains, a typical arid area in China, we investigated the microphysical characteristics of DSD across R classes and dual-polarimetric radar QPE relationships across radar wavelengths and R classes, based on the DSD data from a PARSIVEL2 disdrometer at Zhaosu in the Tianshan Mountains during the summers of 2020 and 2021. As the R class increased, the DSD became wider and flatter. The mean value of the mass-weighted mean diameters (Dm) increased, while the mean value of logarithm normalized intercept parameters (log10 Nw) decreased after increasing from C1 to C3, as the R class increased. The largest contributions to R and the radar reflectivity factor from large raindrops (diameter > 3 mm) accounted for approximately 50% and 97%, respectively, while 84% of the total raindrops were small raindrops (diameter < 1 mm). Dual-polarization radars—horizontal polarization reflectivity (Zh), differential reflectivity (Zdr), and specific differential phase (Kdp)—were retrieved based on the DSD data using the T-matrix scattering method. The DSD-based polarimetric radar QPE relations of a single-parameter (R(Zh), R(Kdp)), and double-parameters (R(Zh,Zdr), R(Kdp,Zdr)) on the S-, C-, and X-bands were derived and evaluated. Overall, the performance of the R(Kdp) (R(Kdp,Zdr)) scheme was better than that of R(Zh) (R(Zh,Zdr)) for the QPE in the three bands. Furthermore, we have for the first time confirmed and quantified the performance differences in the QPE relationship of dual-polarization radars under different schemes, radar wavelengths, and R classes in typical arid areas of China. Therefore, selecting an appropriate dual-polarization radar band and QPE scheme for different R classes is necessary to improve the QPE ability compared with an independent scheme under all R classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raindrop size distributions (DSDs) are the microphysical characteristics of raindrop spectra. Rainfall characterization is important to: (1) provide information on extreme rate, thus, it has an impact on rainfall related hazard; (2) provide data for indirect observation, model and forecast; (3) calibrate and validate the parameters in radar reflectivity-rainfall intensity (Z-R) relationships (quantitative estimate precipitation, QPE) and the mechanism of precipitation erosivity. In this study, the one-year datasets of raindrop spectra were measured by an OTT Parsivel-2 Disdrometer placed in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, China. At the same time, four TE525MM Gauges were also used in the same location to check the disdrometer-measured rainfall data. The theoretical formula of raindrop kinetic energy-rainfall intensity (KE-R) relationships was derived based on the DSDs to characterize the impact of precipitation characteristics and environmental conditions on KE-R relationships in semi-arid areas. In addition, seasonal rainfall intensity curves observed by the disdrometer of the area with application to erosion were characterized and estimated. The results showed that after quality control (QC), the frequencies of raindrop spectra data in different seasons varied, and rainfalls with R within 0.5–5 mm/h accounted for the largest proportion of rainfalls in each season. The parameters in Z-R relationships (Z = aRb) were different for rainfall events of different seasons (a varies from 78.3–119.0, and b from 1.8–2.1), and the calculated KE-R relationships satisfied the form of power function KE = ARm, in which A and m are parameters derived from rainfall shape factor μ. The sensitivity analysis of parameter A with μ demonstrated the applicability of the KE-R formula to different precipitation processes in the Yulin area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarimetric radar and disdrometer observations obtained during the 2014 Observation, Prediction, and Analysis of Severe Convection of China (OPACC) field campaign are used in this study to investigate the microphysical characteristics of three primary types of organized intense rainfall events (meiyu rainband, typhoon outer rainband, and squall line) in eastern China. Drop size distributions (DSDs) of these three events on the ground are derived from measurements of a surface disdrometer, while the corresponding three-dimensional microphysical structures are obtained from the Nanjing University C-band polarimetric radar (NJU-CPOL). Although the environmental moisture and instability conditions are different, all three events possess relatively high freezing level favorable for warm-rain processes where the high medium to small raindrop concentration at low levels is consistent with the high surface rainfall rates. Convection is tallest in the squall line where abundant ice-phase processes generate large amounts of rimed particles (graupel and hail) above the freezing level and the largest surface raindrops are present among these three events. The storm tops of both the typhoon and meiyu rainbands are lower than that in the squall line, composed of less active ice processes above the freezing level. The typhoon rainrate is more intense than that of meiyu, enhanced by higher coalescence efficiency. A revised generalized intercept parameter versus mass-weighted mean diameter (Nw-Dm) space diagram is constructed to describe the DSD distributions over the three events and illustrate the relative DSD positions for heavy precipitation. DSDs of these intense rainfall convections observed in this midlatitude region of eastern Asia somewhat represent the typical DSD characteristics in low latitudes, suggesting that the parameterization of microphysical characteristics in eastern China in numerical models needs to be further investigated to improve rain fall forecasts in these heavy rainfall events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]