Polarimetric Phased Array Weather Radar Data Quality Evaluation Through Combined Analysis, Simulation, and Measurements

This letter combines a time-domain modeling and simulation method for evaluating the impacts of system modules on polarimetric data quality of phased array weather radars with both theoretical analysis and actual measurements. In the presented phased array radar system simulator (PASIM), the distrib...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIEEE geoscience and remote sensing letters Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 1029 - 1033
Main Authors Li, Zhe, Zhang, Yan, Borowska, Lesya, Ivic, Igor R., Mirkovic, Djordje, Perera, Sudantha, Zhang, Guifu, Zrnic, Dusan S.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Piscataway IEEE 01.06.2021
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subjects
Analysis
Antenna pattern
Arrays
Convective precipitation
Correlation coefficient
Correlation coefficients
Data
data quality
Dual polarization radar
Meteorological radar
Meteorology
Nexrad
phased array weather radar
Phased arrays
Precipitation
Quality assessment
Radar
Radar antennas
Radar arrays
Radar data
Radar equipment
Radar polarimetry
Reflectance
Simulation
Simulators
Storms
Theoretical analysis
Weather
Weather radar
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Summary:This letter combines a time-domain modeling and simulation method for evaluating the impacts of system modules on polarimetric data quality of phased array weather radars with both theoretical analysis and actual measurements. In the presented phased array radar system simulator (PASIM), the distributed weather returns are modeled by randomly distributed scatterers, and Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD) Level-II data or user-defined weather scenarios are utilized as weather truth fields. Based on a specially designed patch element, a dual-polarization phased array mobile demonstration system (Ten Panel Demonstrator or TPD) is simulated. In addition, the biases of differential reflectivity, copolar correlation coefficient, and differential phase along beam direction away from the broadside in principal plane and nonprincipal plane are used as data quality metrics. Moreover, theoretical analysis, system simulation, and actual TPD proof of concept measurements in a stratiform precipitation and a convective precipitation are presented, respectively, then similarities and discrepancies between simulations and measurements are compared and explained.
ISSN:1545-598X
1558-0571
DOI:10.1109/LGRS.2020.2990334