The Third Polarimetric Radio Occultation Workshop will take place on 10-12 November 2025 at EUMETSAT HQ in Darmstadt, Germany.
Standard RO products such as bending angle profiles are routinely assimilated into weather models for operational Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). The positive impact to forecasts of temperature and winds when RO data are included in the suite of observations ingested into data assimilation (DA) systems has been demonstrated.
Polarimetric RO (PRO) enhances standard RO by receiving the GNSS signals with a dual-polarization RO receiver. In addition to the capabilities of the conventional RO, PRO can provide an indication of precipitation at each vertical level. This is achieved by measuring the cross-polarisation induced by propagation through an aspherical precipitation media. The vertical structure of the hydrometers, at a few hundreds of meter vertical resolution, emerges as the near-horizontal integral of the specific differential phase shift along the RO link. This added capability offers unique forecast model diagnostics and a potential to advance the assimilation of satellite data in precipitating conditions. Furthermore, these observations also provide and observations for investigating the thermodynamic environment in and near precipitation, and assumptions underlying microphysical parameterisations used by operational NWP forecast models.
The PRO concept has been flight-proven via the Radio Occultations and Heavy Precipitation (ROHP) experiment, operating onboard the Spanish PAZ satellite since May 2018. Since 2023, the number of PRO has been augmented with data from Spire and PlanetiQ cubesats.
This third workshop follows on to the “2nd GNSS Polarimetric Radio Occultation workshop” from 2023. It represents a forum for addressing multiple uses and applications that have been studied in the seven years that PRO data have been available to various NWP centers and research entities, align the presentation of these results, and prepare recommendations for meteorological, space and research organisations (e.g., CGMS agencies, the EUMETSAT ROM SAF). The workshop will focus on presentations and discussions in the following areas:
- Status of current and future polarimetric-capable RO observations
- Precipitation, convection, extreme precipitation events
- Microphysical parameterisation schemes
- NWP and climate model evaluation
- RO data assimilation
- Assimilation of rain-impacted microwave radiances, eg GPM, ATMS, future MetOp, etc.
- Recommendations to space agencies and data providers
- ROM SAF consultation process
The first two days of the meeting will feature presentations and discussions, while the final day will include a plenary session dedicated to consolidating PRO findings and finalising the report and recommendations for CGMS, as well as the ROM SAF consultation on PRO activities. In-person participation is strongly encouraged, though remote access will be available. A detailed agenda will be provided after registration closes.
