Chapter 2

REFLECTIVITY (Z)
 Radar Equation
Radar transmits energy into space through
antenna. Consider a target at a distance r from
an isotropic antenna. Now we can imagine this
target as a point on the surface of a spherical
region of energy with centre as radar.

Area of the spherical energy field = 4 r2

Power density of the sphere, where Pt is the

total power
For an antenna in use (non isotropic antenna)
,gain (g) factor should be added.

If A is the area of the target (Target

aperture) ,then the power received at the
target can be represented as:

If there is no loss of energy the same power (P)

will be reflected back from the target towards the
antenna
Power density of signal reflected from the
target is

Let Ae (Antenna aperture) be the effective

area of the receiving antenna , then Power
received by the antenna is

Substituting the value of

value of P , the received
power Pr will be obtained
as:
Effective area (Ae) of the antenna is
related to gain (g) and
wavelength() as

Now the received power(Pr)of

the antenna is

Actually the received power is the balance

obtained after the scattering of radar beam with
the target. Hence A is nothing but the
backscattering cross sectional area ()of the
target.
Received power(Pr) is
backscattering cross sectional area () depends on the size,
shape, and kind of matter of the target as well as the
wavelength of the radar
But most of the hydrometeors are approximately spheres
When sphere is large compared to
the wavelength (D/) >10, is
equal to the geometric area

When sphere is small compared to

the wavelength (D/) <0.1, then
the sphere is in the Rayleigh region
where is proportional to sixth
power of the diameter. Many
meteorological targets are in the
Rayleigh region
Intermediate region also important called Mie or
resonant region, which is important to detect the
presence of hail
Distributed targets
Practically there may be many rain drops or
cloud particles within the radar beam at the
same time. Then the total backscattering cross-
sectional area is the sum of all of the individual
backscattering cross-sectional area in a sample
volume

per unit sample volume

Sample volume of radar beam is given by
(considering all energy confined within half
power beam width)

, are horizontal and vertical beam widths, r

is the distance of sample volume from radar
and h is pulse length
Total backscattering
cross section area more
then written as

Where the volume given

by

Real radar antennas do not

have all the power confined
within half power beam
widths. So correction factor
also may be applied
i.e. 2 ln 2, ( natural
logarithm)
Total backscattering cross
section area will get the
equation

Substitute the value of

in the equation for
received power

Now the received

power will be changed
as
For most of the
meteorological radars with
wavelength 3 cm and
larger, almost all rain
drops can be considered
small compared to the
wavelength, so the
Rayleigh approximation
Substitute
applies .
the value in Received power
Define the reflectivity factor
z as

Then Received power will be changed in to

 One more factor we have to
add in the equation which is
the attenuation factor ( l ) .
This is the loss of power in
travelling through a
medium ( atmosphere,
cloud, rain, snow, hail etc )
and its value lies between 0
Define the radar constant
and 1
C1
|K|2 is the magnitude of
complex index of refraction
m= n+ik ( n is the index of
refraction and k is the
absorption coefficient). |K|2
depends on material,
temperature and
wavelength. |K|2 for water is Radar
0.93 and for ice is 0.197. equation
These two values differ by 7
dB.
Define another constant C
 Reflectivity
The factor z is also called reflectivity

The parameter Di is the diameter of ith droplet in the unit

volume. The unit of diameter of droplet is mm and unit of
volume is m3 . So the unit of z is mm6 / m3
Reflectivity may range from 0.001 mm6 / m3 (fog, weak
clouds,etc) to as much as 50,000,000 mm6 / m3 (Very
heavy hail ). Hence it is very convenient to express it in
logarithmic scale

Z varies from - 30 dBZ

for fog
to + 75 dBZ for heavy
hail