Doppler Weather Radar Research and Development
Perform research on weather surveillance radar and develop prototype economical applications and technologies for optimal operational deployment, supporting NOAA's goal to serve society's need for weather and water information
The primary goal of this thematic area is to accelerate the transfer of knowledge between the meteorological and engineering communities (in academia, and government and private laboratories) to improve the design, usability, and supportability of the NEXRAD WSR-88D Doppler weather radar. Continual enhancements are needed to the system for improving the quality, format, accuracy, resolution, and update rate of the base data, and to keep pace with evolving hardware and software technologies. This work introduces, examines, and analyzes present and future technologies, including phased-array technology, with the goal of meeting the unfulfilled radar needs. This theme also includes a fertile research area for development and improvement of radar algorithms used for forecasting and warning.
Research on Doppler weather radar will lead to:
- Improved quantitative precipitation estimation in the near real-time for watershed management and for better flash flood detection, warnings, and forecasts, including use of prototype dual polarization radar data
- Feasibility research and development to explore the capability of phased array radar for weather surveillance
- Expanded WSR-88D network capabilities to extend the network’s useful life well into the first quarter of the century
- Improved radar input into severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings
Research funded under this theme in fiscal year 2007:
| National Quantitative Precipitation Estimation Mosaic (formerly called Quantitative Precipitation Estimation and Segregation Using Multiple Sensors) | |
| Objectives: Develop a seamless high-resolution national 3-D grid of radar reflectivity for data assimilation, model verification, and aviation product development; develop automated multi-sensor QPE techniques at high spatial and temporal resolutions and accuracy for use in operational flash flood monitoring and prediction and water resource management. [more] | |
| Investigation of the Use of Dual-Polarization Radar to Improve Quantitative Precipitation Estimation for Improving Flash Flood and Flood Detection, Warnings, and Forecasts: Investigation of the Use of Dual-Polarization Radar to Improve Quantitative Precipitation Estimation for Improving Flash Flood and Flood Detection, Warnings, and Forecasts | |
| Objectives: Develop and validate polarimetric algorithms for quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) and hydrometeor classification (HCA); explore the utility of polarimetric QPE and HCA for shorter wavelength (C- and X-band) radars. [more] | |
| Investigation of the Use of Dual-Polarization Radar to Improve Quantitative Precipitation Estimation for Improving Flash Flood and Flood Detection, Warnings, and Forecasts: Investigation of Microphysical Processes in Clouds and Precipitation Using Polarimetric Radar Measurements | |
| Objectives: Investigate polarimetric signatures in tornadic and nontornadic supercell storms for better understanding microphysical aspects of tornadogenesis. [more] | |
| Investigation of the Use of Dual-Polarization Radar to Improve Quantitative Precipitation Estimation for Improving Flash Flood and Flood Detection, Warnings, and Forecasts: Identification of Aircraft Icing Conditions with Polarimetric Radars | |
| Objectives: Investigate the utility of using polarimetric radar data to identify aircraft icing conditions. [more] | |
| Investigation of the Use of Dual-Polarization Radar to Improve Quantitative Precipitation Estimation for Improving Flash Flood and Flood Detection, Warnings, and Forecasts: Development of Kessler Farm Field Laboratory for the Study of Precipitation Microphysics | |
| Objectives: Develop an instrumented site that can be used for the detailed investigation of precipitation microphysics. [more] | |
| Investigation of the Use of Dual-Polarization Radar to Improve Quantitative Precipitation Estimation for Improving Flash Flood and Flood Detection, Warnings, and Forecasts: Sensitivity Enhancement in the Dual-Polarization WSR-88D | Ivic (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Zrnic |
| Objectives: Provide an alternative signal detection scheme that yields improved detection over the current approach and compensates for the effects of signal-to-noise ratio decrease. [more] | |
| Investigation of Advancements in Radar Technology toward the Improvement of Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Open Radar Data Acquisition (ORDA) Spectrum Width Estimation | Torres (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Curtis, Jain, Zrnic |
| Objectives: Recommend a spectrum width estimator for the ORDA that is equivalent to the legacy estimator. [more] | |
| Investigation of Advancements in Radar Technology toward the Improvement of Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Mitigation of Range and Velocity Ambiguities | Torres (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Bachmann, Zrnic |
| Objectives: Resolve WSR-88D range and Doppler velocity ambiguities to the levels required for the efficient observation of severe weather, culminating in significantly improved WSR-88D data quality when implemented on the Open Radar Data Acquisition (ORDA) sub-system – the increased data quality will result in an improved ability for the WSR-88D to detect severe weather, flash floods, winter storms, and provide aviation forecasts. [more] | |
| Investigation of Advancements in Radar Technology toward the Improvement of Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Improvement of Spectral Moment and Polarimetric Variable Estimates using Decorrelating Transformations on Oversampled Range Data | Torres (primary – CIMMS at NSSL) |
| Objectives: Exploit range oversampling followed by a decorrelation transformation for faster data temporal acquisition and denser spatial sampling as needed to satisfy some of the evolutionary requirements for the WSR- 88D. [more] | |
| Investigation of Advancements in Radar Technology toward the Improvement of Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Super Resolution Radar Data | Torres (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Curtis, Forren, Jain |
| Objectives: Increase the detection range of mesocyclone and tornado vortex signatures; increase the visibility of the reflectivity signatures with super-resolution data; increase warning times for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes; and improve radar detection of severe weather, flash floods, and winter storms. [more] | |
| Investigation into the use of Phased Array Radar Technology for Improving Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Signal Processing Upgrades for the National Weather Radar Testbed | Torres (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Curtis, Forren, Priegnitz |
| Objectives: Create a modern and improved multi-processor/multi-computer signal processing environment for the NWRT phased array radar. [more] | |
| Investigation into the use of Phased Array Radar Technology for Improving Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: National Weather Radar Testbed Phased Array Radar | Adams, Burcham, Curtis, Forsyth (co-primary – NSSL), Heinselman, Hondl, Jain, Priegnitz, Staples, Suppes, J. Thompson, Zahrai, Zrnic (co-primary – NSSL) |
| Objectives: Prepare the National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT) Phased Array Radar (PAR) for scientific and engineering evaluation; perform engineering analyses of PAR data to identify and assess data quality issues associated with the system; use these analyses to prioritize and resolve identified issues; and begin meteorological analyses of PAR data to evaluate the utility of using the PAR technology for meteorological purposes. [more] | |
| Investigation into the use of Phased Array Radar Technology for Improving Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Rapid Sampling of Storms | Heinselman (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Priegnitz, Manross, T. Smith, Adams |
| Objectives: Demonstrate the phased array radar’s ability to collect rapid-scan volumetric data that provide more detailed depictions of quickly-evolving severe storm structures (e.g., microburst precursors) than the WSR-88D and TDWR. [more] | |
| Investigation into the use of Phased Array Radar Technology for Improving Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Spring 2007 National Weather Radar Testbed Demonstration | Heinselman (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Priegnitz, T. Smith, Biggerstaff, Andra, Palmer |
| Objectives: Assess the benefits and challenges of rapid update volumetric PAR moments (reflectivity, velocity, and spectrum width) to data interpretation and warning decision-making; emulate adaptable scanning; attain data sets for several research projects; and obtain high temporal and spatial resolution severe storm verification to support PAR application development and data analysis. [more] | |
| Investigation into the use of Phased Array Radar Technology for Improving Hazardous Weather Detection and Warnings: Radar Control Interface | Priegnitz (CIMMS at NSSL) |
| Objectives: Continue support for the Radar Control Interface (RCI) to the NWRT phased array radar; design a new scan control interface to support adaptive scanning. [more] | |
| Analysis of Weather Radar Observations of Severe Convection to Understand Severe Storm Processes and Improve Warning Decision Support | CIMMS students at ROC – Dunn, Bey, Jones, McCarroll, Ong, Setzer, Keel, Patchin, Tantillo; Reed, Haden, Lee, R. Murnan, Steadham, Zittel |
| Objectives: Develop a data compression technique for the WSR-88D; improve Doppler radar reliability; ensure meteorologists and engineers at ROC have the tools they need for research and development; perform ongoing assessments of WSR-88D data quality; evaluate algorithm performance; verify algorithm performance changes; assist with technology transfer tasks; obtain and analyze special radar data. [more] | |
| Analysis of Weather Radar Observations of Severe Convective Storms to Understand Severe Storm Processes and Improve Warning Decision Support: NEXRAD Technology Transfer | Burgess (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Manross, Scharfenberg, P. Zhang, Sigler, Roberts |
| Objectives: Develop, mature, and transition radar applications and algorithms into the WSR-88 baseline; improve WSR-88D data quality and usefulness.[more] | |
| Winter Hydrometeor Classification Ground Truth Experiment | Elmore (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), Scharfenberg, T. Smith, Leggett |
| Objectives: Create a reporting form hosted on the NSSL web site that encourages the public to log observations of winter storm hydrometeor type within about 150 km of the KOUN radar (Norman); test the ability of the KOUN polarimetric radar to discriminate between rain, drizzle, snow, ice pellets, freezing rain, and freezing drizzle – once data are gathered, score the current hydrometeor classification algorithm against observations gathered by the public. [more] | |
| Hail Size Discrimination Experiment (HaSDEx) | Elmore (primary – CIMMS at NSSL), T. Smith, Scharfenberg, Leggett |
| Objectives: Use public observations of hail size to develop polarimetric radar-based algorithms. [more] | |
| Optimal Use of Phased Array Radar for Multi-Mission Weather Surveillance and Aircraft Tracking | Palmer (primary – OU School of Meteorology), T. Yu, G. Zhang, Yeary, Chilson, Y. Zhang, Crain |
| Objectives: Develop a real-time data acquisition system for the storage and processing of I/Q data on the phased array radar; develop the theory and implement several important techniques related to multi-mission phased array radar, including: refractivity retrieval, cross-beam wind, advanced tracking, adaptive scanning, sidelobe canceling, pulse compression, and scattering experiments. [more] | |
| Development of Mobile X-Band Dual-Polarization Weather Radar | Biggerstaff (primary – OU School of Meteorology), Zahrai (primary – NSSL), Carter, Curtis, Ivic, Wicker, Straka |
| Objectives: Develop a new mobile dual-polarimetric X-band Doppler radar to evaluate the utility of X-band polarimetric data for NWS applications in hydrology, flood warnings, and tornado detection and prediction and enable researchers to gain more insight into dual-polarization applications for short wavelengths. [more] | |
| Development of Mobile C-Band Dual-Polarization Weather Radar to Evaluate Polarimetric Designs for the Multi-Mission Phased Array Radar and for Kinematic and Microphysical Studies of Storms | Biggerstaff (primary – OU School of Meteorology), Straka, Wicker, Zrnic, Zahrai |
| Objectives: Develop a dual-polarimetric upgrade to existing SMART radar. [more] | |
| Study of the Significance and Mitigation of Wind Turbine Clutter for the WSR-88D Network | Palmer (primary – OU School of Meteorology), Snow, Isom |
| Objectives: Study the extent, significance, and mitigation of wind turbine clutter on the WSR-88D radar network; develop advanced signal processing techniques to reduce the effects of such clutter. [more] | |
| Emergency Mobile Radar to Supplement WSR-88D Observations during Hurricanes | Biggerstaff (primary – OU School of Meteorology), Hondl |
| Objectives: Test WDSS-II software and point-to-point data communications link in preparation for using SMART radar as a back-up to the WSR-88D network during hurricane season. [more] | |
| NOAA/NWS/CSTAR – Improving Tornado Detection with WSR-88D Data using Spectral Analysis | T. Yu (primary – OU School of Electrical and Computer Engineering), Shapiro, Yeary |
| Objectives: Develop a novel algorithm to provide accurate tornado detection and extend the detection range. [more] | |
| Enhancement of Radar Retrievals by Use of Higher Moments of the Drop Size Distribution | Y. Kogan (primary – CIMMS at OU), Z. Kogan, Mechem |
| Objectives: Improve retrievals of cloud and drizzle parameters using information from Doppler radar. [more] | |