Operational KNMI radar topics

Introduction

KNMI operates two C-band Doppler radars (one in De Bilt and one in Den Helder). These radars can be used to measure rainfall and wind velocities. However, thesemeasurements are prone to several sources of error. In order to be able to correct for these errors, we must understand the physics behind them. Much can be learned by comparing radar data to measurements from other types of radars, rain gauges, disdrometers, satellites, aircraft measurements, and to numerical weather prediction (NWP) model output. Combining these data sources often yield significant improvements in data quality.

Activities

Several topics are available:

• Understanding errors by studying radar-rain gauge comparisons (the next page gives a more detailed description of this topic)

• Combining operational KNMI C-band radar data with very high-resolution X-band radar data (in collaboration with TU Delft)
  

• Combining radar data and NWP model output to obtain information about precipitation type, rain evaporation, and advection of snowfall
• Combining radar measurements with geostationary satellite (MSG) and disdrometer data to gain understanding of precipitation processes
• Extracting two-dimensional wind vectors from radar dataUnravelling the differences in radar-rain gauge comparisons