Rainfall Estimation from Polarimetric Radar Measurements: Composite Algorithms Immune to Variability in Raindrop Shape–Size Relation

Polarization diversity radar measurements such as reflectivity factor, differential reflectivity, and differential propagation phase are extensively used in rainfall estimation. Algorithms to estimate rainfall from polarimetric radar measurements are based on a model for the raindrop shape as a function of drop diameter. This paper develops composite algorithms to estimate rainfall from polarimetric radar data without an a priori assumption about the specific form of mean raindrop shape-size model such as equilibrium shape model.