The NCAR 449 MHz Modular Wind Profiler

A novel 449 MHz radar wind profiler has been has been developed at NCAR's Earth Observing Lab (EOL).  The profiler is known as the Modular Wind Profiler because of the unique modular design enabling the system to be scaled to suit the needs of a particular experiment.  Antenna modules can be combined together to probe high into the troposphere, or can broken up into smaller dispersed groups to probe the boundary layer over an extended area.  Modularity enables Spaced Antenna wind measurement techniques to be used allowing the system to make very rapid wind measurements.  RIM (Range IMaging) are used to provide fine vertical range resolution.  Currently the system is capable of being deployed as two boundary layer, or one mid-troposphere systems, but ultimately sufficient modules are envisioned to allow deployment of up to six boundary layer, or two mid-troposphere, or one full-troposphere wind profilers.   A mobile version of the profiler is also being developed that can be installed on the back of a pickup truck or small trailer for rapid deployment or chase operations.  The poster will highlight recent deployments including the 2015 PECAN campaign which examined nighttime elevated convection on the Great Plains.