On the feasibility to combine observations from multiwavelength radar and the multi-frequency radiometer ADMIRARI to retrieve precipitating cloud parameters

During the last two NASA GPM Ground Validation field campaigns i.e. MC3E and GCPEx in USA and Canada correspondingly, the microwave radiometer ADMIRARI has been operating nearby two dual-frequency radars: the Ka/W band SACR from DOE ARM and the NASA's Ku/Ka band D3R. In addition, observations have currently been performed at the CSU CHILL National Radar Facility with the D3R Ku/Ka band radar synchronized with ADMIRARI for dedicated precipitation events. The present work put into consideration the first results from the aforementioned field campaigns with as a first attempt to combine these multi-sensor, multi-frequency, dual-polarized measurements in a common retrieval approach; limitations and pitfalls will be critically discussed as well. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.