U.S. DOE ARM Radar Network - Current Status and Future Plans

In 1996, the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program installed its first zenith-pointing Ka-band cloud radar in Oklahoma. This was followed quickly by installations in Alaska, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, and Australia. Two W-band radars (one zenith, the other scanning) were added to the network in the early 2000's. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act brought the development of dual-polarization radars at C, X, Ka, and W bands deployed at ARM climate facilities around the world. ARM is currently adding a new site in Arctic Alaska and another in the Azores. Each of these sites will receive new Ka-band zenith cloud radars and scanning Ka/W-band cloud radars. The Azores site will also include a X-band dual polarization radar operating with a 0.5-degree beamwidth. ARM now operates 5 Ka-band zenith cloud radars, 2 W-band zenith cloud radars, 3 Ka/W-band scanning cloud radars, 3 X/Ka-band scanning cloud radars, 4 X-band precipitation radars, and two C-band precipitation radars. Adding to the two new sites with and additional 7 radars brings the ARM Radar Network up to 32 radars. This paper will present the current status, unique observational capabilities and future plans to address some of the challenges for ARM's operational research radar network.