A computational study of polarimetric radar observables in hail

Abstract

The effects of melting and shedding of hailstones on various polarimetric and dual-wavelength radar observabies are examined. A melting model is used for oblate spheroidal hailstones composed of an ice core and a water coating. Single scattering effects are illustrated using monodisperse size distributions having one particle per cubic meter. Resnlts for exponential size distributions, including a Gaussian canting angle distribution, are also given. It is shown that melting can significantly affect the radar observahles and that, by combining several observables, estimating the parameters of an exponential size distribution may be possible.