POLARIZATION - Orientation of the electrical field component of an electromagnetic wave

Determines what type of target is best detected by the radar

Conventional weather radars usually uses linear horizontal polarization

Dual polarization (polarimetric) can determine attenuation, drop size distribution etc. – the future radar

Polarization is a result of the conversion of electrical energy to electromagnetic energy by rapidly varying the polarity of the magnetic dipole

Most uses are in the detection of rainfall (horizontally larger due aerodynamic flattening)