MSC Introductory Weather Radar Course

National radar network consists of many radars located all over the country. The radar horizon should be unobscured to the extent possible determined by the local orography. If the surface of the country is flat, one can avoid blocked sectors and find a location not far from optimal. In mountaneous regions unobscured locations are found only on mountain tops; such a location location is nevertheless problematic for many reasons. Locations at airports should be also avoided to be able to provide best service to aviation customers.

Example Image

Component of target motion parallel to the beam axis. Also known as Doppler velocity.

Description

An improved rainfall rate estimate can be obtained from Z and ZDR. The value of the median volume drop diameter can be estimated from ZDR. This makes it possible to adopt the Z-R relationship and should result in more accurate rainfall estimates.

Discrete element along a single radial of radar data at which the received signals are sampled. Range bins from POLDIRAD data are spaced at multiples of 150 m intervals. See also sample volume.

Apparent range placement of a multiple return. A multiple return appears at the difference of the true range and a multiple of the unambiguous range.

Display on which radar signals are shown with height as the vertical axis and range as the horizontal axis, forming a vertical cross section of a cloud or precipitation system.

A receiver gain function which compensates for the effect of range on the received power for an equivalent reflectivity.

Ability of the radar to distinguish two targets along the same radial, it is approximately one half the pulse length.

Changes in direction of electromagnetic energy by particles whose diameters are 1/16 wavelength or less.

Integral over the backscatter cross-section of the particles in a pulse volume. For particles small compared to the wavelength the scatter cross-section is D⁶, where D is the diameter of the particle. Radars are calibrated in the way to give directly (assuming the dielectric constant of water) the reflectivity factor from the received backscattered energy. Units for the reflectivity factor are mm⁶ m^-3 or the logarithmic value of this in dBZ.