Assessing phase noise effects on weather-radar data quality

Considerations for a replacement of the aging NEXRAD radar network with the multi-function phased-array radar (MPAR) are well underway. The design of a system that can meet multi-agency mission needs with the smallest technical risk and in a cost-effective manner begins with a list of notional functional requirements from which system requirements can be derived. Two of the driving weather-surveillance functional requirements for an MPAR design are the quality of meteorological data and the mitigation of ground clutter contamination. Both of these requirements are limited by the presence of phase noise within the radar system. Thus, it becomes necessary to understand how phase noise influences the quality of radar estimates and the performance of ground clutter filters. In this paper, we provide an overview of phase noise, the metrics that are typically used to characterize it, and show through simulations the effects of phase noise in the quality of radar estimates and in the ground clutter suppression capabilities of the radar system.