Vertically integrated liquid - Wikipedia Vertically integrated liquid (VIL) is an estimate of the total mass of precipitation in the clouds The measurement is obtained by observing the reflectivity of the air which is obtained with weather radar [1] Reflectivity (Z) in dBZ represents the intensity of radar echoes returning from a clouds
Vertically Integrated Liquid Density as an Indicator of Hail Size VIL Density is simply the VIL divided by the echo top (m) and multiplied by 1000 in order to express the result as g m-3 The importance of VIL Density is its use in quickly identifying thunderstorms with high reflectivities relative to their height
VIL Density - Warning Decision Training Division (WDTD) At each 2D horizontal grid point, the VILD is computed by dividing the VIL value by the height of the 18 dBZ Echo Top (ET) using (Amburn and Wolf 1997): Technical Details Latest Update: MRMS Version 11 5 References Amburn, S A , and P L Wolf, 1997: VIL density as a hail indicator Wea Forecasting, 12, 473-478
WHAT IS VIL (VERTICALLY INTEGRATED LIQUID)? VIL is the integration of reflectivity within a column of air A higher VIL means there is more precipitation in a column of air At one time it was thought a VIL value is associated with a certain hail size
NOAAs National Weather Service - Glossary VIL Vertically-Integrated Liquid water A property computed by RADAP II and WSR-88D units that takes into account the three-dimensional reflectivity of an echo The maximum VIL of a storm is useful in determining its potential severity, especially in terms of maximum hail size