Vaisala IRIS - HMAX: Height of Maximum Intensity Product

3.7 HMAX: Height of Maximum Intensity
Product
Figure 7 HMAX Configuration Example
HMAX displays the height of the maximum data above each output pixel.
It is similar to the MAX product which shows the value of the maximum reflectivity over each
pixel. The HMAX algorithm requires a volume scan. It searches vertically through the
elevation angles above each output pixel and determines the height of the maximum
intensity.
The product can in some cases show the presence and height of the bright band. In
animation, rapidly decreasing heights in convective storms may indicate the presence of a
microburst. A limitation of the HMAX product is described in the note below:
A limitation of this product is that the heights are quantized by the number of elevation
angles. It is not possible to interpolate the maximum, so the height is the height of the
elevation angle where the maximum occurs (with earth curvature correction). Using a
volume scan with many elevation angles and the 2D Cartesian smoother both help to
mitigate the eects of this quantization.
1. Select Type > HMAX.
IRIS Product and Display User Guide M211319EN-H
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