How does weather radar estimate precipitation amounts and distances?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Weather radars estimate the intensity of precipitation by emitting microwave radiation with wavelengths of several centimeters. Precipitating droplets, ice crystals, and hailstones scatter some of the emitted radiation back to the radar unit, which records the intensity of the backscattered radiation. Meteorologists have developed schemes that relate the intensity of backscattered radiation to the rate of precipitation. The closer the precipitation is to the radar, the quicker the pulse will return to the unit. By measuring the strength of the return radiation and the time taken for it to return to the unit, a profile can be created that shows how much precipitation is occurring and how far from the radar it is.
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