A Review of Radar- and Satellite-based Observational Studies and Nowcasting Techniques on Convection Initiation

Convection often produces severe weather which causes a great loss to human lives and properties. Precisely predicting the convection initiation process is crucial but challenging in operational convection nowcasting (0~2 h forecasting). Before the radar-defined CI occurring (e.g., the first occurrence of ≥35 dBZ echoes), observations at high spatial and temporal resolutions from weather radars and geostationary meteorological satellites can reveal precursor information such as the boundary-layer convergence lines and the rapid growth of newborn cumulus clouds. These radar- and satellite-observed precursor information are helpful for evaluating the pre-CI conditions and thus nowcasting the accurate CI timing and location. This paper reviewed the current status of radar- and satellite-based CI research and nowcasting techniques. The milestone works and the following studies in the last four decades were summarized to demonstrate how radar and satellite observations can be related to CI occurrence. The objectives and approaches of the CI research advance as the improvement in the capability of radars and were explained satellites. The research progress aids in the development of various CI nowcasting techniques. This paper introduced three well-established techniques that have been put into operational application, namely, ANC system, SATCAST algorithm, and UWCI algorithm. Some scientific issues with respect to radar- and satellite-based CI research and nowcasting were also presented.     

94/220 GHz星载雷达双波长比对非球形冰晶云参数敏感性分析

利用不同形状冰晶的散射特性,获得了非球形冰晶云的94/220 GHz测云雷达双波长比,探讨了非球形冰晶云的双波长比与云内微物理参数的关系,分析了衰减前后的星载雷达反射率因子及双波长比的垂直廓线。结果表明:（1）双波长比可以反映小到0.1 mm中值尺度的冰粒子,对粒子总数、谱的形状参数不敏感,对粒子大小、形状、云衰减较敏感。（2）雷达灵敏度一定时,星载雷达可测云厚与雷达波长、冰含水量（IWC）的垂直分布、云厚及衰减有关;没有进行衰减订正时,双波长比和衰减有关,冰含水量越大,波长越短,衰减越大,双波长比最大值与可探测云厚有关。两部雷达可探测冰含水量为0.001—0.1 g/m3、厚2 km的冰云;当云厚5 km、冰含水量垂直分布在0.001—0.2 g/m3时,云厚的94%基本可以被220 GHz云雷达探测到。（3）如果两部雷达气象方程中用水的介电因子,测量回波强度应进行介电因子的订正后再计算双波长比。      

利用AMDAR数据分析厦门、泉州双雷达三维风场反演误差

利用2016年全年进出厦门机场和晋江机场航班的AMDAR(Aircraft Meteorological DAta Relay)数据对双雷达反演风场进行检验,分析了厦门、泉州双雷达风场反演的总体误差,研究结果表明:1)验证了双雷达连线附近区域反演风场的平均绝对误差较大,发现了与两部雷达连线的夹角小于15°和大于165°的区域的反演结果的平均绝对误差明显大于误差的年平均值。2)对于反演风向而言,误差随着高度增加而减小。对于反演风速而言,高度在9 km以下的反演误差在5 m/s左右,而9 km以上的反演误差较小。3)剔除了双雷达连线附近区域(与两部雷达连线的夹角小于15°和大于165°的区域)和反射率因子小于5 dBZ以及等于100 dBZ(剔除非气象回波)的反演结果后,双雷达反演风场误差较小,相对于AMDAR数据的风向年平均绝对误差为29.4°,风速年平均绝对误差为3.28 m/s,总体误差在可接受范围之内,反演结果接近"真值",该反演方法稳定可靠。     

新一代天气雷达与强对流天气预警

简要介绍了对流风暴的分类、对流风暴的强弱和强对流天气的多普勒天气雷达识别和预警技术，以及新一代天气雷达对强对流风暴预警水平的改进。     

基于TRMM/PR的长江下游地基雷达一致性订正

不同雷达观测相同目标的反射率因子差异会影响雷达组网应用效果,对无波束阻挡的X波段雷达而言,这种差异主要由雷达定标偏差和信号衰减引起,其中衰减包含降水导致的衰减以及天线罩水膜导致的衰减。为了订正定标偏差、天线罩水膜衰减以及降水衰减,设计了一个基于相控阵雷达组网的订正方法。首先,将天线罩水膜导致的衰减看作定标偏差的一部分,使用组网衰减订正算法做初次衰减订正;然后,通过构建一个雷达网观测偏差函数,使用梯度下降法求解各雷达之间的定标偏差;最后,将订正了定标偏差的原始反射率因子再次使用组网衰减订正算法进行二次衰减订正。对上述订正方法,用于广东省佛山市7部X波段相控阵天气雷达探测的一次冷空气降水过程进行检验。结果显示,传统的PIA (Path-integrated attenuation)算法订正结果与广州S波段天气雷达观测结果相关系数为0.53,均方根误差为9.0 dB, 而该算法这两项数值分别为0.64和8.4 dB,优于PIA;在台风外围的局地强降水过程中也得到了相同的结论。

     

相邻雷达回波差异检测方法研究与应用

文章介绍相邻雷达在重叠区回波差异的检测方法,造成邻近两部雷达在重叠区回波差异的原因分为外界因素和内在因素。排除遮挡、地物/超折射杂波及大气衰减等外界因素,根据雨滴直径与下落末速度的关系,对相邻两部雷达基数据进行时间、空间一致性匹配,比较邻近两部雷达在重叠区域中相同时间、相同采样空间上的回波观测值,若仍然存在明显差异,则是由雷达自身一些因素造成的。文章采用了郑州雷达一次频率源故障过程和广东一次飑线过程中的数据作为个例,分析表明该方法能有效检测出相邻两部雷达在重叠区的观测值差异,在全国新一代天气雷达网实时运行监控业务中具有较高的应用价值,当检测出某一部雷达与邻近几部雷达存在明显的观测差异时,可通过报警方式将信息传送至雷达机务人员,以便及时查找和解决雷达的故障问题。     

Mapping radar-derived sea surface currents with a variational method

High-frequency radars measure projections of surface velocity vectors on the directions of the radar beams. A variational method for reconstruction of the 2d velocity field from such observations is proposed. The interpolation problem is regularized by penalizing high-frequency variability of the surface vorticity and divergence fields. Twin-data experiments are used to assess the method's skill and compare it with two well-known approaches to HFR data processing: conventional local interpolation and more sophisticated non-local scheme known as open-boundary modal analysis (OMA). It is shown that the variational method and OMA have a significant advantage over local interpolation because of their ability to reconstruct the velocity field within the gaps in data coverage, near the coastlines and in the areas covered only by one radar. Compared to OMA, the proposed variational method appears to be more flexible in processing gappy observations and more accurate at noise levels below 30%.     

Ocean surface current retrieval and imaging with a new shore-based X-band radar based on time-shifted up-and-down linear frequency modulated signal

This paper proposes a multifunction radar that can not only measure sea currents but also perform sea-surface imaging. The fundamental aspect of the proposed radar comprises transmitting time-shifted up-and-down continuous wave linear frequency modulated signals that allow for the offset of two one-dimensional range images of the sea surface that respectively correspond to the upward linear frequency modulated(LFM) signal and the downward LFM signal. Owing to the Doppler frequency shift from the sea surface, a range offset, which is proportional to the radial velocity of the sea surface, occurs between the upward and downward LFM signals. By using the least-squares linear fitting method in the transformed domain, the range offset can be measured and the current velocity can be retrieved. Finally, we verify the accuracy of current measurement with simulation results.     

深圳LAP-3000型风廓线雷达系统及应用

介绍风廓线雷达的历史、LAP-3000型风廓线雷达的基本原理以及深圳市LAP-3000型风廓线雷达的数据存贮格式、风廓线雷达产品的显示等内容;并给出了几种典型风场在风廓线上的反映及对一次冷空气过程的分析。     

华南一次强飑线过程的三维变分风场反演效果分析

利用三维变分方法对2014年3月30—31日华南一次强飑线过程进行风场反演,经与风廓线雷达探测结果、双多普勒天气雷达反演结果、原始径向速度数据等对比分析,得到如下结论：三维变分方法反演的中低层水平风场与风廓线雷达探测到的结果较为一致,且能很好地表现飑线过境时的风向切变;通过与双多普勒雷达风场反演结果对比发现,两种方法得到的风场空间分布十分相似,均能很好地表现2 km高度上系统内部强带状回波前缘的辐合线以及5 km高度上较弱的辐散;三维变分方法反演的水平风场与径向速度场有较好的一致性,2 km高度强回波带前缘阵风锋处的辐合线位置以及5 km和8 km高度上辐散区的位置均与径向速度场十分吻合;三维变分方法反演的垂直速度能较好地反映该飑线过程中气流的上升和下沉运动,平行于飑线方向的气流变化较小,而系统气流变化主要沿垂直于飑线的方向。三维变分方法反演的飑线系统的三维风场结构合理,反演结果可靠。