Development and Validation of New Dual-Doppler Analysis Techniques with Emphasis on the Vertical Velocity Problem
Abstract
LONG TERM GOALS. Our longterm goal is to develop new dual-Doppler analysis techniques with an emphasis on improving estimates of the vertical velocity field. OBJECTIVES. Our main objective is to use a dyamical constraint (vertical vorticity equation) to improve dual- Doppler analyses of the vertical velocity field over those obtained with traditional methods. APPROACH This work involves the development and testing of new techniques (based on variational methods) to analyze the wind and vertical velocity field from dual-Doppler radar data. These methods all rely on the Boussinesq form of the vertical vorticity equation imposed as a weak or strong constraint, with and without the anelastic mass conservation equation. In each method the relevant Euler-Lagrange equations are solved numerically (they are either elliptic equations or can be made elliptic by applying a small amount of spatial smoothing). These methods are designed to contend with the irregular lower/upper boundaries of the data region -- in essence, the methods seek to derive the "optimal" boundary condition for the vertical velocity field on these irregular boundaries. These techniques are being tested on simulated radar data sampled from high resolution runs of a numerical weather prediction model, the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS). The final phase of the work will involve tests with real Doppler radar datasets obtained from the Doppler-on-Wheels (DOW). The PI (Prof. Alan Shapiro) supervises one doctoral student, John Mewes, on this effort. Additional assistance is provided by research associate Paul Robinson at the Coastal Meteorology Research Program (CMRP) at the University of Oklahoma. The DOW field deployment was managed by Prof. Joshua Wurman, also at the University of Oklahoma.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA636443
Entities
People
- Alan Shapiro
Organizations
- University of Oklahoma