Precipitation characterization using a disdrometer at the AlexanderVon Humbolt meteorological observatory

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize the precipitation recorded at the Alexander
von Humboldt Meteorological Observatory (OVH), located at the La Molina National Agrarian University in Lima, Peru, using a Thies Clima laser disdrometer. The monitoring period was from June 2, 2021, to March 20, 2022. Drop size distribution (DSD), terminal
fall velocity, weighted mean diameter (Dm), and reflectivity (Z) were analyzed. The data obtained were compared with records from a Costa rain gauge and data
from the Davis automatic weather station. During the winter of 2021, precipitation was classified as stratiform, with drop diameters between 0.188 and 1.125 mm. In the summer of 2022, events with droplets up to 2,750 mm
were recorded, associated with stratiform-convective and convective rainfall. The results show seasonal differences in precipitation microphysics, with implications for the calibration of weather radars.