Data / Science Data Products / VAPs

RADCLSS

Extracted Radar Columns and In-Situ Sensors (RadCLss)

Evaluation VAP

The Extracted Radar Columns and In-Situ Sensors (RadCLss) product was developed to evaluate empirical relationships within quantitative precipitation estimates from ARM’s scanning precipitation radars. Using the Python ARM Radar Toolkit (Py-ART), RadCLss extracts radar columns above various ARM and partner locations. These columns are then spatiotemporally synced with in situ observations at the surface using the Atmospheric data Community Toolkit (ACT), allowing direct comparison of radar parameters with rain gauges and laser disdrometers for further investigation.

RadCLss is useful to investigate convective storms over ARM sites and provides a concise subset of radar data. This product is also useful for tracking the performance of ARM’s scanning radars when primary radar parameters are compared within similar derived products from ground based sensors. For more information, users should explore RadCLss workflows outlined on GitHub.

As the individual radar scan strategy will dictate which sites are included within the RadCLss product, care is taken to ensure the lowest valid gate above an instrumented site is within 1.5 kilometers of the surface. As the radar scan strategy is determined by the ARM radar mentors and can change during select intensive operational periods, additional checks are required to verify the lowest valid radar gate above these sites. For plan position indicator scans, three individual range gates from three azimuths spanning the in situ location are extracted and averaged for each radar field. For range-height indicator scans, the individual range gates overlapping a location are extracted. In either scan strategy, the lowest valid range gate is chosen for colocation with the in situ sensors.