The WSR-88D Radar Operations Center (ROC), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), are collaborating on a new method of automatically identifying areas of radar returns containing ground clutter. The Clutter Mitigation Decision (CMD) algorithm is the result of several years of development and is based on fuzzy logic analysis of several relevant parameters. During the development, ROC and NCAR engineers and scientists refined the algorithm to enhance performance and allow for efficient integration into the WSR-88D. The algorithm is designed for efficient integration into the RVP8 signal processor, and the ROC team has developed a system architecture for including the CMD detection function into operational clutter filter management.

This paper discusses the algorithm evolution, technical performance, and design recommendations. The paper includes a discussion of future integration of polarimetric enhancements.