Micro Rain Radar Research Projects
The Micro Rain Radar (MRR), designed and manufactured by Metek GmbH, is a microwave profiler for the measurement of rain rate, liquid water content and drop size distribution from near ground to several hundred metres.
The MRR operates with electromagnetic radiation at a frequency of 24 GHz and is a useful tool in climate and atmospheric research ie for:
- observation of the melting layer
- now-casting of precipitation events
- dropsize distribution measurements
- calibration of weather radar signals and
- hydrology, precipitation, cloud physics studies
- rain measurements on ships and platforms
Below are just a few of the projects in which the MRR is used.
Research: Forecasting and characterization of mixed precipitation
Location: United States
Mixed precipitation events that include transitions among snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain are examined using vertically-pointing 24.1 GHz METEK MicroRainRadar (MRR) data (Löffler-Mang et al.1999; Peters et al. 2002) from several sites in the United States. Transitions among precipitation types are difficult to observe with scanning weather radar since shallow, near surface, cold and warm air layers often occur below the lowest level scanned. Accurately forecasting the timing of the onset of snow and changes in precipitation type is critical for transportation and other public agency decision makers.
For further reading please see:
Paper: Forecasting and characterization of mixed precipitation events using the MicroRainRadar (PDF - 2.97 MB) - Sandra E. Yuter et al.
Research: SoWMEX/TiMREX 2008
Location: Taiwan
The Southwest Monsoon Experiment / Terrain-influenced Monsoon Rainfall Experiment is a joint Taiwan - US Monsoon Rainfall Study.
The goal of the 2008 campaign is to improve the capability of quantitative precipitation estimation and forecasting during the Asian Summer Monsoon season. This is a continuation of the 2007 pilot study in which 4 Micro Rain Radars were deployed.
For further reading please see:
Website: www.ihs.ncu.edu.tw
Paper: SoWMEX/TiMREX (pdf - 4.72 Mbs)
Research: To improve ice storm prediction
Location: North Carolina, USA
A mobile Micro Rain Radar known as the M2R2 has been deployed as part of a network of MRRs in North Carolina to help with ice storm prediction.
Website: Main M2R2 page
Research: General Observation Period (GOP) 2007
Location: Multiple locations across Europe
Details:
The main goal of the GOP is to gather a comprehensive data set suitable for testing hypotheses and new modelling techniques.
Micro Rain Radars (at least 13) will be used to observe rain drop size distribution over flat terrain (including marine) and over orographic terrain.
Associated websites:
GOP overview
MRR sites across Europe
Drop Size Distribution (GOP-3)
Project: "BBC2" intensive (cloud) measurement campaign
Location: Cabauw, the Netherlands
The objectives of the BBC2-campaign (BALTEX BRIDGE Campaign) are to gain a better understanding of cloud processes. The BBC2 campaign was jointly organised by the University of Bonn and KNMI.
Four MRRs and a Metek SODAR/RASS system were among the instruments used.
Associated websites:
Main BBC2 website
Main BBC2 website instrument page
University of Bonn's BBC-2 page
University of Bonn's main MRR page
University of Bonn's MRR measurement principle page
Related presentation:
Spatial Spatial and temporal variability of drop size distribution from vertically pointing micro rain radar (MRR) (ppt)
Project: PREDICT
Location: Andes
In a field campaign from December 2001 to April 2003, aspart of the PREDICT project to understand the precise amount of precipitation in the tropical mountain forests of the Andes, measurements of vertical rainfall profiles were performed with the Micro Rain Radar.
Also deployed was a NES210 Eigenbrodt Fog Collector to evaluate the characteristics of six manual quadratic polypropylene mesh collectors and a BIRAL VPF-730 forwardscatter meter to measure the atmospheric extinction and horizontal visibility, rain rate, particle number, droplet spectra and rain type.
Article:
Variability of precipitation in the Reserva Biólogica San Francisco / Southern Ecuador www.lyonia.org/viewArticle.php?articleID=407
Project: The GLOWA-DANUBE Project
Location: Upper Danube Catchment Area
Development of Advanced Methods for the Retrieval of Precipitation from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) Data. A project within the framework of Global Change of the Watercycle uses the Micro Rain Radar to compare the MSG data.
Websites:www.glowa.org
GLOWA_DANUBE Project on the LCRS website
Project: Various
Location: Laboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing
(LCRS)
Website: http://lcrs.geographie.uni-marburg.de/
Research overview: http://lcrs.geographie.uni-marburg.de/index.php?id=28
(The LCRS's meteorological equipment includes the Metek Micro Rain Radar, the Metek USA-1 ultrasonic anemometer and the Biral VPF-730 present weather sensor - to see all equipment at LCRS visit their facilities page at http://lcrs.geographie.uni-marburg.de/index.php?id=45)
Project: PALAU Project
Location: Observation site in Aimeliik State, Republic of Palau.
PALAU" is an acronym of Pacific Area Long-term Atmospheric observation for Understanding of climate change.
One of the observation sites taking part is the Aimeliik State site to which a Micro Rain Radar was added in March 2004.
Websites:Aimeliik Site and PALAU (main page)
Presentation: Activities of Palau (Western Pacific Program) Observational research (pdf 1.9 Mb)
Project: SHARE
Location: Northern California Sierra Nevada mountain
The Sierra Hydrometeorology Atmospheric River Experiment (SHARE) programme is studying the multi-scale physics of orographic precipitation development and air mass transformation associated with frontal systems crossing the northern California Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The field phase will take place in December 2008 to January 2009 and one Micro Rain Radar will be located near the crest at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory and another at a site in the lee of the Sierras. The continuous monitoring of the crest and lee-side precipitation by the Micro Rain Radars will complement aircraft measurements.
The high temporal and spatial resolution of the Micro Rain Radar makes it well suited to observe the details of snow and weak precipitation structures.
Project: AMMA (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses)
Location: Nangatchori, Benin
AMMA is an international project to improve knowledge and understanding of the West African Monsoon (WAM).
In 2006, as part of this programme, the Universities of Bonn and Cologne took measurements over a year period with a Micro Rain Radar, Microwave Profiler and a Lidar Ceilometer at the Nangatchori observation station.
Website:AMMA-Germany
Project: RAINMAP
Location: UK
RAINMAP is an EPSRC funded network that aims to foster communication and collaboration between diverse communities interested in developing and applying models of rain rate variation to a wide range of engineering problems.
Please see more information on their website www.rainmap.rl.ac.uk/default.htm
At the RAINMAP Meeting in September 2007 Dr Chris Kidd (University of Birmingham) presented a paper entitled "Experiences with a newtwork of Micro Rain Radars" in which Tipping Bucket Rain Gauges and Micro Rain Radars were compared.
Published papers
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