TRMM Ground Validation Calibrated QC Radar Reflectivity Full Volume Scan L1C 1 hour V7 (TRMM_1C51) at GES DISC

The purpose of the 1C51 algorithm is to remove non-meteorological radar echoes that adversely affect the quality of higher level products, such as clutter associated with insects, birds, chaff, wildfires, antenna towers, and anomalous propagation (AP). Eight adjustable parameters, three echo height thresholds and five radar reflectivity thresholds, are used to optimize the performance of the algorithm. Optimum performance is time consuming and requires an analyst to select different sets of parameters on a per volume scan basis, and on occasions performing several iterations while adjusting one or more of the parameters.

A key component of the TRMM project is the Ground Validation (GV) effort which consists of collecting data from ground-based radar, rain gauges and disdrometers. The data is quality-controlled, and then validation products are produced for comparison with TRMM satellite products.

The four primary GV sites are:

• Darwin, Australia;
• Houston, Texas;
• Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands;
• Melbourne, Florida.

A significant effort is also being supported at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) and vicinity to provide high quality, long-term measurements of rain rates (via a network of rain gauges collocated with National Weather Service gauges), as well as drop size distributions (DSD) using a variety of instruments, including impact-type Joss Waldvogel, laser-optical Parsivel, as well as two-dimensional video disdrometers. DSD measurements are also being collected at Melbourne and Kwajalein using Joss-Waldvogel disdrometers.