Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Application for Geological Mapping and Resource Exploration in the Canadian Arctic

The role of remote sensing in geological mapping has been rapidly growing by providing predictive maps in advance of field surveys. Remote predictive maps with broad spatial coverage have been produced for northern Canada and the Canadian Arctic which are typically very difficult to access. Multi and hyperspectral airborne and spaceborne sensors are widely used for geological mapping as spectral characteristics are able to constrain the minerals and rocks that are present in a target region. Rock surfaces in the Canadian Arctic are altered by extensive glacial activity and freeze-thaw weathering, and form different surface roughnesses depending on rock type. Different physical surface properties, such as surface roughness and soil moisture, can be revealed by distinct radar backscattering signatures at different polarizations. This thesis aims to provide a multidisciplinary approach for remote predictive mapping that integrates the lithological and physical surface properties of target rocks. This work investigates the physical surface properties of geological units in the Tunnunik and Haughton impact structures in the Canadian Arctic characterized by polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR). It relates the radar scattering mechanisms of target surfaces to their lithological compositions from multispectral analysis for remote predictive geological mapping in the Canadian Arctic. This work quantitatively estimates the surface roughness relative to the transmitted radar wavelength and volumetric soil moisture by radar scattering model inversion. The SAR polarization signatures of different geological units were also characterized, which showed a significant correlation with their surface roughness. This work presents a modified radar scattering model for weathered rock surfaces. More broadly, it presents an integrative remote predictive mapping algorithm by combining multispectral and polarimetric SAR parameters

Use of Dual Polarization Radar in Validation of Satellite Precipitation Measurements: Rationale and Opportunities

Dual-polarization weather radars have evolved significantly in the last three decades culminating in the operational deployment by the National Weather Service. In addition to operational applications in the weather service, dual-polarization radars have shown significant potential in contributing to the research fields of ground based remote sensing of rainfall microphysics, study of precipitation evolution and hydrometeor classification. Furthermore the dual-polarization radars have also raised the awareness of radar system aspects such as calibration. Microphysical characterization of precipitation and quantitative precipitation estimation are important applications that are critical in the validation of satellite borne precipitation measurements and also serves as a valuable tool in algorithm development. This paper presents the important role played by dual-polarization radar in validating space borne precipitation measurements. Starting from a historical evolution, the various configurations of dual-polarization radar are presented. Examples of raindrop size distribution retrievals and hydrometeor type classification are discussed. The quantitative precipitation estimation is a product of direct relevance to space borne observations. During the TRMM program substantial advancement was made with ground based polarization radars specially collecting unique observations in the tropics which are noted. The scientific accomplishments of relevance to space borne measurements of precipitation are summarized. The potential of dual-polarization radars and opportunities in the era of global precipitation measurement mission is also discussed

Development of a polarimetric radar based hydrometeor classification algorithm for winter precipitation

2012 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.The nation-wide WSR-88D radar network is currently being upgraded for dual-polarized technology. While many convective, warm-season fuzzy-logic hydrometeor classification algorithms based on this new suite of radar variables and temperature have been refined, less progress has been made thus far in developing hydrometeor classification algorithms for winter precipitation. Unlike previous studies, the focus of this work is to exploit the discriminatory power of polarimetric variables to distinguish the most common precipitation types found in winter storms without the use of temperature as an additional variable. For the first time, detailed electromagnetic scattering of plates, dendrites, dry aggregated snowflakes, rain, freezing rain, and sleet are conducted at X-, C-, and S-band wavelengths. These physics-based results are used to determine the characteristic radar variable ranges associated with each precipitation type. A variable weighting system was also implemented in the algorithm's decision process to capitalize on the strengths of specific dual-polarimetric variables to discriminate between certain classes of hydrometeors, such as wet snow to indicate the melting layer. This algorithm was tested on observations during three different winter storms in Colorado and Oklahoma with the dual-wavelength X- and S-band CSU-CHILL, C-band OU-PRIME, and X-band CASA IP1 polarimetric radars. The algorithm showed success at all three frequencies, but was slightly more reliable at X-band because of the algorithm's strong dependence on specific differential phase. While plates were rarely distinguished from dendrites, the latter were satisfactorily differentiated from dry aggregated snowflakes and wet snow. Sleet and freezing rain could not be distinguished from rain or light rain based on polarimetric variables alone. However, high-resolution radar observations illustrated the refreezing process of raindrops into ice pellets, which has been documented before but not yet explained. Persistent, robust patterns of decreased correlation coefficient, enhanced differential reflectivity, and an inflection point around enhanced reflectivity occurred over the exact depth of the surface cold layer indicated by atmospheric soundings during times when sleet was reported at the surface. It is hypothesized that this refreezing signature is produced by a modulation of the drop size distribution such that smaller drops preferentially freeze into ice pellets first. The melting layer detection algorithm and fall speed spectra from vertically pointing radar also captured meaningful trends in the melting layer depth, height, and mean correlation coefficient during this transition from freezing rain to sleet at the surface. These findings demonstrate that this new radar-based winter hydrometeor classification algorithm is applicable for both research and operational sectors

Evaluation of radar multiple scattering effects in Cloudsat configuration

International audienceMonteCarlo simulations have been performed to evaluate the importance of multiple scattering effects in co- and cross-polar radar returns for 94 GHz radars in Cloudsat and airborne configurations. Thousands of vertically structured profiles derived from some different cloud resolving models are used as a test-bed. Mie theory is used to derive the single scattering properties of the atmospheric hydrometeors. Multiple scattering effects in the co-polar channel (reflectivity enhancement) are particularly elusive, especially in airborne configuration. They can be quite consistent in satellite configurations, like CloudSat, especially in regions of high attenuation and in the presence of highly forward scattering layers associated with snow and graupel particles. When the cross polar returns are analysed [but note that CloudSat does not measure any linear depolarization ratio (LDR hereafter)], high LDR values appear both in space and in airborne configurations. The LDR signatures are footprints of multiple scattering effects; although depolarization values as high as ?5 dB can be generated including non-spherical particles in single scattering modelling, multiple scattering computations can produce values close to complete depolarization (i.e. LDR=0 dB). Our simulated LDR profiles from an air-borne platform well reproduce, in a simple frame, some experimental observations collected during the Wakasa Bay experiment. Since LDR instrumental uncertainties were not positively accounted for during that experiment, more focused campaigns with air-borne polarimetric radar are recommended. Multiple scattering effects can be important for CloudSat applications like rainfall and snowfall retrievals since single scattering based algorithms will be otherwise burdened by positive biases

The GPM GV Program

We present a detailed overview of the structure and activities associated with the NASA-led ground validation component of the NASA-JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The overarching philosophy and approaches for NASAs GV program are presented with primary focus placed on aspects of direct validation and a summary of physical validation campaigns and results. We describe a spectrum of key instruments, methods, field campaigns and data products developed and used by NASAs GV team to verify GPM level-2 precipitation products in rain and snow. We describe the tools and analysis framework used to confirm that NASAs Level-1 science requirements for GPM are met by the GPM Core Observatory. Examples of routine validation activities related to verification of Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) products for two different regions of the globe (Korea and the U.S.) are provided, and a brief analysis related to IMERG performance in the extreme rainfall event associated with Hurricane Florence is discussed

Characteristics of flash initiations in a supercell cluster with tornadoes

Flash initiations within a supercell cluster during 10–11 May 2010 in Oklahoma were investigated based on observations from the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array and the Norman, Oklahoma, polarimetric radar (KOUN). The flash initiations at positions dominated by graupel, dry snow, small hail and crystals accounted for 44.3%, 44.1%, 8.0% and 3.0% of the total flashes, respectively. During the tornadic stage of the southern supercell in the cluster, flash initiations associated with graupel occupied the main body, the right flank and the forward flank of the supercell, while those associated with dry snow dominated the outskirts of the adjacent forward anvil, right anvil and rear anvil. The flash initiations associated with small hail were concentrated around the main updraft, particularly toward its front side. Highly dense flash initiations were located in the regions overlying the differential reflectivity (ZDR) arc and right anvil. The average initial height of the flashes decreased gradually from the rear to the front and from the right to the left flanks, while the height range over which initiations occurred reached a maximumat the front of the updraft. The flashes that were initiated in the adjacent forward anvils were largest on average, followed by those in the regions ahead of the updraft and near the ZDR arc. This study supports the concept of charge pockets and further deduces that the pockets in the right anvil are the most abundant and compact due to the frequent flash initiations, small-sized flashes and thin layers including flash initiations