Vertical motions in orographic cloud systems over the Payette River Basin. Part I: Recovery of vertical motions and their uncertainty from airborne doppler radial velocity measurements

The WCR measured radial velocity V-r, which includes the reflectivity-weighted terminal velocity of hydrometeors V-t, vertical air velocity w, horizontal wind contributions as a result of aircraft attitude deviations, and aircraft motion.

Aircraft motion was removed through standard processing. To retrieve vertical radial velocity W, Vr was corrected using rawinsonde data and aircraft attitude measurements; w was then calculated by subtracting the mean W (sic) at a given height along a flight leg long enough for (sic) to equal the mean reflectivity weighted terminal velocity (sic)(t) at that height. The accuracy of the w and (sic)(t) retrievals were dependent on satisfying assumptions along a given flight leg that the winds at a given altitude above/below the aircraft did not vary, the vertical air motions at a given altitude sum to 0 m s(-1), and (sic)(t) at a given altitude did not vary.