Three-dimensional modeling of physical properties of solid hydrometeors

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26400464
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: MINDA Haruya 名古屋大学, 宇宙地球環境研究所, 技術専門員 (80422765)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 津田 紀生 愛知工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (20278229)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 降水レーダ / 降雪観測 / レーダ降雪強度 / マイクロ波散乱特性 / 粒子形状計測

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Quantitative radar snow-rate sensing requires a breakthrough improvement on the understandings of microwave scattering properties of solid hydrometeors. We have developed a new instrument, which is named as the Multi-angle Snowflake Imager (MSI), to capture physical properties of solid hydrometeors, such as a three-dimensional shape, snow density, fall velocity and their size distribution. To estimate the snow density, the hydrometeor’s mass measured by an electrical-balance-type snow-gauge is divided by the volume captured by the MSI. The MSI is validated by simultaneous observations with a 2D video disdrometer. To theoretically and observationally infer the scattering properties and radar signals, the snowflake physical properties and radar reflectivity factors were collected by using the MSI, multi-frequency precipitation radars and other sensors at Hokkaido and Kanazawa Universities in winter seasons. Finally, the preliminary observational data-set was developed.

Free Research Field

レーダ気象学