Estimation of rainfall drop size distribution from dual-polarization measurements at S-band, X-band, and Ku-band radar frequencies

Rainfall estimation using dual-polarization radars has shown a number of advantages over traditional single polarization radars. As the building blocks for deriving dual-polarization radar rainfall algorithms, the rain drop size distribution (DSD) has been studied over three decades. In this study, we present the estimation of DSD parameters using dual-polarization radar measurements at S-, X-, and Ku-band frequencies. Various DSD retrieval algorithms are implemented using the data collected by the S-band WSR-88DP/KFWS, X-band CASA/XUTA, and D3R Ku-band radars.