Recent Progress On Hydrometeor Identification Product For GPM DPR

A vertical description of the profiles of precipitation is a long-term goal of atmospheric research and precipitation science. The detailed hydrometeor identification products have great potential for constraining four-dimensional distributions of bulk hydrometeors and thus microphysical conversion processes for evaluating cloud-resolving models (CRMs), which is an important tool in the weather and climate research community. New three-dimensional hydrometeor type product will be available in the classification module in the next version (V8) of GPM DPR level 2 algorithm. This is a unique advantage for the space borne radar to provide a three-dimensional hydrometeor type over the globe while ground based observations are limited to the regions of deployment. The products developed by our team in the classification module allow us to have the potential to take a big step forward adding vertical profile of hydrometeors for DPR full swath data. Although GPM DPR has fine vertical resolutions in dual-frequency observations, most of the algorithms or products developed are 2 dimensional with either a “flag” or “type” (or etc.) on a 2-dimentional surface. These products include 1) Stratiform, convective rain separation; 2) detection of melting regions; 3) Developing a surface snowfall identification algorithm; (4) Developing a graupel and hail identification algorithm; and 5) the hail identification algorithm.