Estimation of vertical profiles of raindrop size distribution and cloud microphysical processes in stratiform rainfall using vertical-pointing X- and VHF-band radars

Goto, Yusuke; Shinoda, Taro; Minda, Haruya; Kyushima, Moeto; Hashiguchi, Hiroyuki; Toda, Nozomu; Shige, Shoichi

doi:10.5194/amt-19-1587-2026

Articles | Volume 19, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1587-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1587-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 19, issue 4

Research article

|

03 Mar 2026

Research article |

| 03 Mar 2026

Estimation of vertical profiles of raindrop size distribution and cloud microphysical processes in stratiform rainfall using vertical-pointing X- and VHF-band radars

Yusuke Goto, Taro Shinoda, Haruya Minda, Moeto Kyushima, Hiroyuki Hashiguchi, Nozomu Toda, and Shoichi Shige

Data sets

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS) https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

Short summary

We combined radar data from two frequencies for a case of stratiform rainfall in Japan to estimate the relationship between raindrop size and number concentration aloft. One of the radars used operates at a frequency close to that of satellite-mounted precipitation radars. However, even for stratiform rainfall expected under calm atmospheric conditions, data corrections are required, suggesting that challenges remain for the application to satellite observations.