Echo classification and spectral processing for the discrimination of clutter from weather

Clutter filters remove weather signals in situations in which the spectral signature of the weather resembles that of clutter. In order to discriminate between weather and clutter additional independent information is required. Promising sources of such independent information are (a) the nature of the reflectivity pattern around the clutter site, (b) the variance of the velocity and (c) the variance of dual polarization variables. We present a radar echo classification scheme based on a fuzzy combination of these variables. We apply this scheme to a number of cases and demonstrate that it is effective in discriminating between clutter and weather echoes. We also show that it is suitable for real-time radar applications.