Three-Dimensional Wind Field Analysis from Dual-Doppler Radar Data. Part II: Minimizing the Error due to Temporal Variation

Abstract

One of the major problems in three-dimensional wind field analysis from dual (or multiple) Doppler radar data resides in the non-stationary of the observed air flow within the volume sampling time which ranges typically from 2 to 5 min. The present part II is focused on this problem. Most often, the storm moves horizontally at a speed of 5?25 m s?1.Therefore, the temporal variation for a fixed observer at ground level results from the superposition of two effects: 1) the intrinsic temporal variation (or variation seen in a frame moving with the storm) and 2) the effect of horizontal advection. The first contribution of the paper concerns the development of an algorithm for correcting for the advection effect in the case of a dual-Doppler radar observation. This algorithm, which provides a mathematically exact solution to the problem of correcting for advection, can be very easily implemented in a computer program. The second contribution deals with the errors that may arise from an accurate (or lack of) evaluation of the advective velocity, or from an ?Intrinsic? temporal variation in the moving frame. A spectral decomposition of the 3D wind field is considered, allowing us to study the dependence of the error on the scale of the motion. Specific conclusions are drawn about the requirements necessary to achieve a given accuracy in the vertical velocity field. i.e., admissible uncertainty in the advective velocity, and characteristic time of intrinsic temporal variation. Finally an example of application to actual Doppler radar data is presented. The results obtained from non-advected analyses are compared and discussed.