Arno Project: Evolution of Data Processing Techniques in Dual Polarization radar

Weather radars can play the major role in an integrated real-time monitoring system aiming at flash-flood forecasting in short time response basins as the Arno basin. Since quality of radar data is degraded by several sources of error, many researches have been developed to devise proper data processing techniques to enhance radar based precipitation estimates and thus improving the effectiveness of a radar based monitoring system. However, results obtained by means of different techniques are difficult to compare since experimental results are always only partially available or obtained in particular or not controllable conditions. In this paper we present an integrated and flexible tool for simulation and analysis of C-band dual polarization radar data, developed to study and optimize proper data processing techniques meeting those hydrological applications requirements, which is one of the major goals of Arno Project.