Extended Abstract (376K)19.2
Range and velocity ambiguity mitigation on the WSR-88D: Performance of the SZ-2 phase coding algorithm
Sebastian M. Torres, CIMMS/Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
In pulsed Doppler weather radars such as the WSR-88D, the range and Doppler velocity ambiguity problems are coupled such that trying to alleviate one of them worsens the other. Special techniques are necessary to resolve both ambiguities to the levels required for the efficient observation of severe weather. The Radar Operations Center of the National Weather Service has sponsored the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to develop methods for mitigating the effects of velocity and range ambiguities on the WSR-88D. In a joint effort, NSSL and NCAR have recently recommended an algorithm for the initial deployment of range and velocity ambiguity mitigation techniques on the Open Radar Data Acquisition (ORDA) subsystem. The algorithm, referred to as SZ-2, is based on systematic phase coding that uses the SZ(8/64) code and will be applied on the Doppler half of split cuts at the lowest elevation angles of the antenna beam. This paper shows the performance of the SZ-2 algorithm on weather data collected with NSSL’s KOUN radar in Norman, OK. Comparisons with existing “legacy” techniques demonstrate the ability of the SZ-2 algorithm to effectively mitigate range and velocity ambiguities in future enhancements of the NEXRAD radar network.
Session 19, Radar IIPS and Applications Part II
Thursday, 13 January 2005, 1:30 PM-5:30 PM
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