How Much Attenuation Extinguishes mm-Wave Vertically Pointing Radar Return Signals?

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript tries to address the extinction of signal of vertically pointing radar w.r.t. the wavelength. Notoriously at higher frequencies attenuation effects become increasingly important and can extinguish radar returns. The study is conducted under simplified hypotheses like the constant rain along the vertical, that are however acceptable considering the objective of the manuscript. The manuscript is well written. Specific suggestions are provided below.

Abstract:  “These simulations found that in order to observe beyond a rain shaft 3.5 19 km deep, the rain rate needed to be less than 138, 67, 26, 14, and 4 mm h-1 for VPRs operating in the 20 X-, Ku-, K-, Ka-, and W-bands.” This is not valid in general, but only if some parameters of WACR are assumed at the other frequencies. This fact is not clear event in not clear in lines 352-358.

Power-law Relationships: I do not understand the need of resorting to parameterizations. Basically if disdrometer DSD are assumed as constant along the vertical, one can have both k, R, Z, without resorting to parameterizations, and likely with more accuracy.

Figure 5: I would suggest to add Dm (mm) in the title of the colorbar.

Line 267: I think it is  “except” instead “expect”

Author Response

Please see the attachement.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Overall a good description of an interesting

approach for studying precipitation using

radar signals. 
The abstract however is confusing and badly 

written. I suggest that the authors adhere

to the following structure and revise their

paper accordingly:

1- what is it done

2- how is it done

3- results

4- the significance of the results. 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

  None