A Summary of Precipitation Characteristics from the 2006–11 Northern Australian Wet Seasons as Revealed by ARM Disdrometer Research Facilities (Darwin, Australia)

Abstract

he variability of rainfall and drop size distributions (DSDs) as a function of large-scale atmospheric conditions and storm characteristics is investigated using measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) facility at Darwin, Australia. Observations are obtained from an impact disdrometer with a near continuous record of operation over five consecutive wet seasons (2006?11). Bulk rainfall characteristics are partitioned according to diurnal accumulation, convective and stratiform precipitation classifications, objective monsoonal regime, and MJO phase. Findings support previous Darwin studies suggesting a significant diurnal and DSD parameter signal associated with both convective?stratiform and wet season monsoonal regime classification. Negligible MJO phase influence is determined for cumulative disdrometric statistics over the Darwin location.