High-resolution precipitation monitoring in the WegenerNet 3D Open-Air Laboratory for Climate Change Research

The WegenerNet 3D Open-Air Laboratory provides a unique setup for studying extreme meteorological events such as heavy precipitation, hailstorms, droughts, and heat waves. Its instrumentation consisting of a polarimetric X-band Doppler weather radar, a microwave radiometer for vertical profiling of temperature, humidity, and cloud liquid water, an infrared cloud structure radiometer, and a water-vapor-mapping GNSS station network enables the comprehensive monitoring of precipitation events with high spatial- and temporal resolution in near real-time. These sensors complement the high-density WegenerNet hydrometeorological station network, comprised of 156 stations measuring temperature, humidity, precipitation, and (at selected locations) surface winds and soil parameters within a core area of 22 km x 16 km centered near the city of Feldbach (46.93°N, 15.90°E), in southeastern Austria. Partial redundancies within this measurement setup enable cross evaluation, calibration and quality control for robust observations and derived data products. The 3D extension of the WegenerNet has been operational in the current configuration since mid-2021, providing a consistent and growing data record of two years.

We present a preliminary version of data products derived from the WegenerNet 3D Open-Air Laboratory aimed at studying precipitation events. This includes gauge-calibrated radar-derived precipitation with 500 meters spatial resolution and 2.5-minute time resolution at multiple altitude levels, cloud coverage and base height with 10-minute resolution, profiles of temperature, humidity, liquid water content, and stability indices with 10-minute resolution, GNSS- and radiometer-derived tropospheric delays and water vapor content with 2.5-minute to 15-minute resolution. These data products, accompanying metadata and uncertainty estimates will be made available in the form of user-friendly data cubes. Additionally, quality-controlled observation data, such as radar reflectivities and differential phase measurements, GNSS tropospheric delays and gradients, and observed infrared and microwave brightness temperatures will also be made available to the scientific community.