Height of Maximum Intensity

Description


2D-map containing the altitude of highest reflectivity value inside the vertical column over each surface point.

Parameters

Product data quantity: altitude
Image size: number of pixels per row (# of columns) and per column (# of rows)
Pixel size: horizontal and vertical extension of the pixel in km
Level slicing method: list of values in 0.1 km a.s.l. or formula parameters (see section 7 in WD21_99)
(Optional: Reflectivity threshold: value in 0.1 dBZ )

Notes

• In stratiform rain, the product can be used to determine the height of bright band (melting layer). However, if there is no melting layer, it will show a value inside of an ice cloud. To avoid such problems, an optional threshold could be used (show only product for pixels where maximum intensity is over a dBZ threshold.)
• Rapidly decreasing heights in convective storms may indicate the presence of a microburst.
• The quality of this product depends crucially on number of elevations in the polar volume, even more than in other products, as it is not possible to interpolate the maximum.

» Radar Meteorology Glossary