Data / Science Data Products / VAPs

KASACRGRIDPPI

Ka-Band Scanning ARM Cloud Radar PPI scan, Cartesian Cloud Cover Grid VAP

Evaluation VAP

This Scanning ARM Cloud Radar Grid (SACRGRID) value-added product provides radar moments from plan position indicator (PPI) scans on a Cartesian grid. The gridded radar moments include reflectivity, mean Doppler velocity, spectral width, signal-to-noise ratio, and differential phase. The moments are accompanied by the linear depolarization ratio and copolar-to-crosspolar correlation coefficient.

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Input data are a1-level (uncalibrated) or b1-level (calibrated) PPI data. A nearest neighbor algorithm is used for gridding, with a censor mask applied to flag significant echoes. Gaseous attenuation correction is also applied for the radar before gridding. The output is a single netCDF file containing all aforementioned radar moments remapped onto a two-dimensional (2D) Cartesian grid.

With this VAP, scientists can more easily use KASACR PPI observations in applications that benefit from having measurements on a Cartesian grid, such as for model comparisons. The censor mask helps users distinguish hydrometeor observations from background noise. The gaseous attenuation correction eliminates water vapor as a source of signal attenuation.