Single-Doppler Retrieval of the Three-Dimensional Wind in a Deep Convective System Based on an Optimal Moving Frame of Reference

Abstract

A single-Doppler radar velocity retrieval method, based on an optimally determined moving frame of reference, is developed. This method enables the recovery of the complete three-dimensional wind field using reflectivity, and radial wind observations, detected by a single Doppler radar over multiple volume scans. This method first computes a set of optimal moving speeds ðU; V; WÞ, which can be functions of the height. It is considered optimal in the sense that when a reference frame is traveling at this speed, as much of the radar reflectivity, interpolated onto this frame can be conserved as possible. The perturbation velocities ðu 0 ; v 0 ; w 0 Þ are then solved simultaneously, with respect to the moving speeds, by minimizing a cost function through the three-dimensional variational (3D-Var) approach. This cost function consists of a set of weak constraints, mainly the equation for radar reflectivity conservation, the continuity equation, the geometric relationship between the radar-observed radial wind and the Cartesian winds, and a smoothness filter. Finally, by adding the optimal moving speed to the perturbation velocities, a complete three-dimensional wind field is obtained.The performance of this method is tested under different scenarios, including cases with deep convections, embedded in an environment without mean wind, with constant mean wind, with vertical wind shear of the horizontal mean wind, and with differences in the radar observational time at each grid point within one volume scan are considered.This method is demonstrated to be feasible by applying it to recover the three-dimensional wind structure of a subtropical squall line from Doppler radar data, collected during the 1987 Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment (TAMEX).

A Frequent-Updating Analysis System Based on Radar, Surface, and Mesoscale Model Data for the Beijing 2008 Forecast Demonstration Project

“…In the last two decades, active research has been undertaken to infer detailed unobserved meteorological information from single-Doppler radar data, resulting in several single-Doppler radar retrieval techniques (e.g., Sun et al 1991;Qiu and Xu 1992;Laroche and Zawadzki 1995;Shapiro et al 1995;Gao et al 2001;Liou 2007;Snyder and Zhang 2004). One of the major retrieval methods is the four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) adjoint technique, which combines radar observations with a cloud-scale numerical model.…”

A Space-Time Variational Method for Retrieving Upper-Level Vortex Winds from GOES-16 Rapid Scans over Hurricanes

“…It has long been recognized that using a moving coordinate system can reduce advection-caused errors, not only in analyzing radar observed moving storm systems, but also in retrieving unobserved advection velocities from observed tracer movements. The techniques involved and their related merits have been studied by many investigators [28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. When retrieving the wind field in a moving storm system, an optimal moving frame needs to be searched and used to improve the wind retrieval.…”