Observations and performance of the NASA dual-frequency dual-polarization Doppler radar (D3R) from five years of operation

The NASA dual-frequency, dual-polarization, Doppler radar (D3R) [1] was conceived and developed to support ground validation (GV) operations of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission [2]. The D3R operates in the same frequencies bands, Ku- and Ka-band, as GPM's dual-frequency precipitation radar enabling direct comparisons of microphysical observations of precipitation. To support the GPM GV mission, D3R substantively participated in four field campaigns in North America with diverse geographic features covering both winter and summer conditions.