Weather Dictionary / Glossary of Terms

Radar Reflectivity Factor (z)


   Weather TermDescription / Definition
   Radar Reflectivity Factor (z) z = the sum (over i) of (N_i * D_i^6), where N_i is the number of drops of diameter D_i in a pulse resolution volume. Note that z may be expressed in linear or logarithmic units. The radar reflectivity factor is simply a more meteorologically meaningful way of expressing the radar reflectivity.


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Data courtesy of NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration