Sections

Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

 

S-PolKa Parameters

— filed under:

Listing of parameters for S-Pol and S-PolKa data sets, varying by format

S-Pol (or S-PolKa) is capable of producing a large number of parameters. The complement of parameters will vary with each deployment, depending upon the desires of the Principal Investigator, or the data requestor. A fairly comprehensive list of variables is provided, below, for netCDF, DORADE or a UF data set. Parameters are identified as belonging to the S-band or Ka-band subsystem.

Note that there can be some ambiguity in the Ka variable names, depending upon whether the Ka used simultaneous H/V transmit, or just a single polarization upon transmit. For RICO, the Ka band performed simultaneous H and V transmit, with separate receivers for the H and V return power. Also, UF variable names have not been established for the Ka variables (the table notes these as "unk").

There have been no Ka-band data sets created since the switch to the newer netCDF format. Ka-band netCDF parameter names are as yet undefined, and are left blank in the table. Note that, for netCDF (or the forthcoming CF-Radial format), the data files themselves can be inspected through use of a tool such as ncdump, and this would then show the short- and long-names for the variables.

The approximate period of validity for this table is 2004 through 2010, although inferences can be made for parameter names outside of this time period.

Present in netCDF
Name		 DORADE
Name		 UF
Name		 Units Parameter Description
S-band Ka-band
X CDBZ CDBZ CD dBZ S-band coherent reflectivity
X DBZ DBZ DB or DZ dBZ S-band reflectivity
X DBMVC DL DL dBm S-band Vertical received power (co-polar: V-tx, V-rec)
X DBMHC DM DM dBm S-band Horizontal received power (co-polar: H-tx, H-rec)
X DBMVX DW DW dBm S-band cross-polar received power (V-tx, H-rec or HV)
X DBMHX DX DX dBm S-band cross-polar received power (H-tx, V-rec or VH)
X DY DY dBZ S-band co-polar reflectivity (V-tx, V-rec or VV)
X LDRH LDR LD dB S-band depolarization ratio (H-tx, V-rec, or VH)
X LDRV LVDR LV dB S-band depolarization ratio (V-tx, H-rec, or HV)
X LDR_VH_K unk dB Ka-band depolarization ratio (H-tx, V-rec, or VH) (N/A RICO)
(special note: H-polarization for Ka is often tipped up to 22 degrees off of horizontal in LDR mode)
X NCP NCP NC none S-band normalized coherent power (HH)
X NCP_HH_K unk none Ka-band normalized coherent power (HH)
X PHIDP PHIDP PH deg S-band differential phase
X P_HH_K unk dBm Ka-band co-polar received power (H-tx, H-rec or HH)
X P_VV_K unk dBm Ka-band co-polar received power (V-tx, V-rec)
X RHOHV RHOHV RH none S-band Correlation coefficient between HH, VV
X RHO_VH_K unk none Ka-band Correlation coefficient between HH, VV
X WIDTH SW SW m/s S-band co-polar spectrum width (computed from both SW_HH and SW_VV)
X SW_HH_K unk m/s Ka-band co-polar spectrum width (HH)
X TH_VH_K unk deg Ka-band differential phase (PHIDP of Ka) (not yet evaluated for utility)
X VEL VR VR m/s S-band co-polar radial velocity (computed from both V_HH and V_VV using the CSU algorithms)
X V_HH_K unk m/s Ka-band co-polar radial velocity (HH)
X ZDR ZDR ZD dB S-band differential reflectivity (DBZ_HH - DBZ_VV)
X ZDR_VH_K unk dB Ka-band differential reflectivity (DBZ_HH - DBZ_VV)
X ZG0_HH_K unk dBZ Ka-band co-polar HH reflectivity, corrected using gate-zero transmit power.
X Z_HH_K unk dB Ka-band co-polar reflectivity (HH)
X NIQ NIQ NI dB Average magnitude of backscatter pwr (HH)
X AIQ AIQ AI deg Average phase of backscattered power (HH)
AIQ is used in the Fabry refractive index work for the determination of virtual temp
X CH CH CH none Magnitude of cross correlation, HH and VH
X AH AH AH deg Angle of the cross correlation, HH and VH
X CV CV CV none Magnitude of cross correlation, VV and HV
X AV AV AV deg Angle of the cross correlation, VV and HV
X KDP KDP KD deg/km Specific diff propagation phase (HH, VV)
Note: the complement of possible parameters will vary by project and processor code version.
Document Actions
Staff Profile

Janine Aquino

Janine Aquino When Janine Aquino was a student working at NCAR's High Altitude Observatory, her research advisor told her "You can't work here forever...Read more

Community Announcement

Please note that NCAR's ELDORA airborne radar is not currently available for deployment. For further information please contact the LAOF Program Director Linnea Avallone (lavallon@nsf.gov) or the EOL Director Vanda Grubišić (grubisic@ucar.edu).