Spectral characterization of ground clutter using the NWRT

The electronic scanning capability of a phased array antenna allows for the collection of weather data without mechanical rotation. In contrast, radars with parabolic dish antennas need to rotate mechanically in both azimuth and elevation to collect volumetric weather data. This antenna rotation has the effect of broadening the spectra of ground clutter and therefore changing the spectral shape. By taking advantage of the narrower spectra from a stationary antenna, we may be able to find novel techniques for mitigating the effects of ground clutter. In this paper, a new clutter model is proposed to examine the shapes of ground clutter spectra. Data were collected using the National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT) under different wind, terrain, and foliage conditions. The data were fit using the clutter model to find representative clutter spectra for each of the collected cases. The effects of wind, terrain, and foliage are then incorporated into the model which can then be used to examine the clutter width or for simulating time series data.