Z-R relationships for precipitation and evaluation using size distribution

Presents an evaluation of the Z-R relations for precipitation by examining the drop size distribution (DSD). Although parameters for the Z-R relation can be defined with satisfactory accuracy at small temporal and spatial scale, they are generally not very good for estimating precipitation by radar. One cause for this is the temporal variation of DSD. The authors also introduce the possibility to use optical instruments to complement radar measurements. The authors present results from a long-time survey of precipitation that started in August 1999 in the city of Kanazawa, located by the Sea of Japan at latitude 36.6 degrees north. It has been pointed by many authors that the sample quantity and temporal resolution are critical in a successful determination of the Z-R parameters