THE BMRC NCAR C-BAND POLARIMETRIC (C-POL) RADAR SYSTEM/

The development of the first Australian C-band polarimetric/Doppler me teorological radar system (C-POL) is described. Motivated by the need to obtain improved rainfall estimation and the vertical profile of hyd rometeors, C-POL was developed jointly by the Bureau of Meteorology (B OM), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. C-POL is based on a standard operational C-band radar employed by the BOM bu t modified to be capable of transmitting linear horizontal and vertica l polarizations and receiving the co- and cross polarizations on a pul se-to-pulse basis. Standard variables extracted include horizontal ref lectivity (Z(HH)), radial velocity (V-r), spectral width (sigma(upsilo n)), differential reflectivity (Z(DR)), differential phase shift (Phi( DP)), and zero lag correlation coefficient [rho(HV)(0)]. With the addi tion of a second receiver chain, the linear depolarization ratio will soon be available. Initial results with the radar are discussed to giv e examples of the data quality, as well as some of the problems inhere nt in using a C-band radar in the Tropics.