Melting layer estimation by weather radar device

1. A system for determining an estimated altitude of a melting layer, the system comprising:

a weather radar device configured to:

transmit radar signals, and

receive reflected radar signals by at least receiving multiple simultaneous beams of the reflected radar signals; and

processing circuitry configured to:

form vertically stacked beams from the multiple simultaneous beams; and

determine the estimated altitude of the melting layer based on a difference in reflectivity for the reflected radar signals by at least:

determining an estimated altitude of the melting layer for each beam of the vertically stacked beams based on a difference in reflectivity for the reflected radar signals along each beam of the vertically stacked beams; and

finding a particular altitude at which a second derivative of reflectivity with respect to altitude is zero and a first derivative of reflectivity is negative, wherein a positive value for the first derivative of reflectivity indicates that reflectivity increases as altitude increases.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the estimated altitude of the melting layer by at least:

determining reflectivity at two locations along a beam of the vertically stacked beams based on the reflected radar signals;

determining a rate of change in reflectivity between the two locations based on a difference between the reflectivity at the two locations and further based on an altitude difference between the two locations; and

determining that the rate of change in reflectivity between the two locations is less than a threshold level.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the estimated altitude of the melting layer by at least:

determining a rate of change in reflectivity based on the reflected radar signals, wherein a positive value for the rate of change in reflectivity indicates that reflectivity increases as altitude increases; and

determining a highest altitude at which the rate of change in reflectivity is less than a threshold level.

4. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a bright-band altitude at which a magnitude of reflectivity is highest based on the reflected radar signals,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the estimated altitude of the melting layer at an altitude that is higher than the bright-band altitude.

5. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the estimated altitude of the melting layer is a final estimated altitude of the melting layer, and

wherein the system is configured to mount on a vehicle,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine an initial estimated altitude of the melting layer based on a temperature at an altitude of the vehicle and an algorithm including a temperature change per change in altitude;

cause the weather radar device to transmit radar signals at an angle towards the initial estimated altitude of the melting layer; and

determine the final estimated altitude of the melting layer based on the radar signals transmitted at the angle that are reflected back to the weather radar device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the estimated altitude of the melting layer by at least:

determining a sample of estimated altitudes for the vertically stacked beams; and

determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer based on an average of the sample of estimated altitudes.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the estimated altitude of the melting layer by at least:

determining a standard deviation for each estimated altitude in the sample of estimated altitudes;

removing an outlying estimated altitude from the sample of estimated altitudes based on the standard deviation of the outlying estimated altitude; and

determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer based on an average of the sample of estimated altitudes after removing the outlying estimated altitude.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the weather radar device is further configured to perform at least one of the following weather functions: volumetric reflectivity scan, predicting hail, predicting lightning, predicting areas of attenuated radar signal, tracking storm movements, tracking storm growth, or rendering weather information on a display.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a presence of high-altitude ice crystals based on the estimated altitude of the melting layer.

10. A method for determining an estimated altitude of a melting layer, the method comprising:

transmitting radar signals by a weather radar device;

receiving reflected radar signals at the weather radar device by at least receiving multiple simultaneous beams of the reflected radar signals;

forming vertically stacked beams from the multiple simultaneous beams; and

determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer based on a difference in reflectivity for the reflected radar signals by at least:

determining an estimated altitude of the melting layer for each beam of the vertically stacked beams based on a difference in reflectivity for the reflected radar signals along each beam of the vertically stacked beams; and

finding a particular altitude at which a second derivative of reflectivity with respect to altitude is zero and a first derivative of reflectivity is negative, wherein a positive value for the first derivative of reflectivity indicates that reflectivity increases as altitude increases.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer comprises:

determining reflectivity at two locations along a beam of the vertically stacked beams based on the reflected radar signals;

determining a rate of change in reflectivity between the two locations based on a difference between the reflectivity at the two locations and further based on an altitude difference between the two locations; and

determining that the rate of change in reflectivity between the two locations is less than a threshold level.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining a bright-band altitude at which a magnitude of reflectivity is highest based on the reflected radar signals, wherein determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer comprises determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer at an altitude that is higher than the bright-band altitude.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the estimated altitude of the melting layer is a final estimated altitude of the melting layer, the method further comprising:

determining an initial estimated altitude of the melting layer based on a temperature at an altitude of the weather radar device and an algorithm including a temperature change per change in altitude;

transmitting the radar signals at an angle towards the initial estimated altitude of the melting layer; and

determining the final estimated altitude of the melting layer based on the radar signals transmitted at the angle that are reflected back to the weather radar device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising performing at least one of the following weather functions: volumetric reflectivity scan, predicting hail, predicting lightning, predicting areas of attenuated radar signal, tracking storm movements, tracking storm growth, or rendering weather information on a display.

15. A device comprising a computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, configured to be executable by one or more processors for causing the one or more processors to:

cause a weather radar device to:

transmit radar signals, and

receive reflected radar signals by at least receiving multiple simultaneous beams of the reflected radar signals;

form vertically stacked beams from the multiple simultaneous beams; and

determine an estimated altitude of a melting layer based on a difference in reflectivity for the reflected radar signals by at least:

determining an estimated altitude of the melting layer for each beam of the vertically stacked beams based on a difference in reflectivity for the reflected radar signals along each beam of the vertically stacked beams; and

finding a particular altitude at which a second derivative of reflectivity with respect to altitude is zero and a first derivative of reflectivity is negative, wherein a positive value for the first derivative of reflectivity indicates that reflectivity increases as altitude increases.

16. The device of claim 15 ,

wherein the estimated altitude of the melting layer is a final estimated altitude of the melting layer, and

wherein the device is configured to mount on a vehicle,

wherein the executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine an initial estimated altitude of the melting layer based on a temperature at an altitude of the vehicle and an algorithm including a temperature change per change in altitude;

cause the weather radar device to transmit radar signals at an angle towards the initial estimated altitude of the melting layer; and

determine the final estimated altitude of the melting layer based on the radar signals transmitted at the angle that are reflected back to the weather radar device.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the executable instructions cause the one or more processors to cause the weather radar device to perform at least one of the following weather functions: volumetric reflectivity scan, predicting hail, predicting lightning, predicting areas of attenuated radar signal, tracking storm movements, tracking storm growth, or rendering weather information on a display.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the executable instructions to determine the estimated altitude of the melting layer comprise executable instructions to:

determine reflectivity at two locations along a beam of the vertically stacked beams based on the reflected radar signals;

determine a rate of change in reflectivity between the two locations based on a difference between the reflectivity at the two locations and further based on an altitude difference between the two locations; and

determine that the rate of change in reflectivity between the two locations is less than a threshold level.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer comprises:

determining a rate of change in reflectivity based on the reflected radar signals, wherein a positive value for the rate of change in reflectivity indicates that reflectivity increases as altitude increases; and

determining a highest altitude at which the rate of change in reflectivity is less than a threshold level.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer comprises:

determining a sample of estimated altitudes for the vertically stacked beams; and

determining the estimated altitude of the melting layer based on an average of the sample of estimated altitudes.