Precipitation disdrometer at C1 from October 2013 to May 2016

An OTT Parsivel Disdrometer is used to generate detailed precipitation
information on the fall speeds and sizes of hydrometeors at the Niwot
Ridge C1 site. This disdrometer data aids in the quantification of
rain and snowfall microstructure allowing users of the data to
investigate the influence that hydrometeor characteristics have on
precipitation accumulation rates, streamflow/runoff, precipitation
gauge errors, and radar reflectivity-rain/snow rate relationships
(these are current uses of the data but there are many more
possibilities). Parameters, such as intensity of precipitation, radar
reflectivity, and visibility, are derived from the particle size and
speed quantities and are complimentary to the other precipitation
instrumentation at C1. The type of precipitation is derived from
empirical relationships of fall speeds and volume-equivalent diameters
and is useful for determining transitions between rain, graupel, snow,
etc. The disdrometer at C1 fits into the larger goal of improving our
understanding of orographic precipitation and the hydrometeorological
dynamics at play on the eastern slopes of the Colorado Front Range.

本数据集采用OTT Parsivel雨滴谱仪（OTT Parsivel Disdrometer），在尼沃特岭C1站点采集水凝物下落速度与粒径的精细化降水观测信息。该雨滴谱仪数据可用于量化降雨与降雪的微观结构，支持数据使用者探究水凝物特性对降水累积速率、河川径流与地表径流、雨量计观测误差，以及雷达反射率-雨/雪率关系的影响（上述为当前已知的应用场景，仍存在更多潜在应用可能）。研究人员可从粒子粒径与速度参数中推导得到降水强度、雷达反射率、能见度等观测参数，可与C1站点的其他降水观测仪器形成观测互补。降水类型则通过下落速度与体积等效直径的经验关系推导得出，可用于识别降雨、霰、降雪等不同降水相态间的转换过程。C1站点的该雨滴谱仪观测项目，契合了深化对科罗拉多前岭东坡地形降水及相关水文气象动力学过程理解的整体研究目标。