A PC-based simulation code for radar polarimetric field applications in meteorology

A simulation code that computes radar polarimetric parameters for use in field applications and a study of their dependence on hydrometeor characteristics is presented. The code models different hydrometeor types, including raindrops, hail, graupel and various types of ice and mixed-phase particles. For each hydrometeor type, the user can specify a variety of parameters (e.g., equivolume diameter, temperature, axial ratio, density, canting angle, etc.) as well as several shapes and size distributions. The software calculates both monostatic radar parameters and propagation effects. Available parameters include: reflectivity factors at horizontal and vertical polarizations (Z_H, Z_V ), differential reflectivity Z_DR, circular depolarization ratio CDR, linear depolarization ratio LDR and specific differential phase shift KDP, all at K-, X-, C- and S- band wavelengths. The code is fully interactive and easy to upgrade by creating new data bases for other types of hydrometeors. It is user-friendly and intended to be a valuable tool for use during polarimetric field experiments of storms