Extended Abstract (236K)7.8
Boundary layer measurements with a 3GHz FMCW atmospheric profiler
S. H. Heijnen, Delft Univ. of Technology, Delft, Netherlands; and H. Klein-Baltink, H. W. J. Russchenberg, H. Verlinde, and W. F. van der Zwan
The Transportable Atmospheric RAdar, TARA, is a highly sensitive and high-resolution atmospheric profiler. Designed for use in experimental atmospheric research, the system is based on the FMCW radar principle such that system specifications like sensitivity and resolution, both in space and in time, can be changed independently of each other. The system is fully polarimetric and can generate different beams at an angle of 15° off-set from the axis of symmetry in two orthogonal directions. A carrier frequency of 3.3 GHz combined with a high sensitivity makes the radar also sensitive to clear air reflections e.g. from the boundary layer. Therefore, the system can be used for all kinds of studies of atmospheric phenomena like cloud processes drizzle formation, turbulence studies and 3-D wind profiling.
A spatial resolution of 3 m combined with a temporal resolution of 0.5 s make it possible to study the boundary layer with unprecedented detail. Recently, the system has been extended with the possibility of logging raw data. This opens a completely new level of detail at which atmospheric processes can be studied.
This paper will show high-resolution measurements of the boundary layer in the Netherlands and will compare the TARA measurements with measurements from co-located radars at other frequencies especially with measurements of a 35 GHz atmospheric profiler and a 1.2 GHz wind profiler. This paper will concentrate on the level of detail that can be achieved with TARA. Measurements of the boundary layer during clear air and cloudy conditions will be shown in the full paper.
Session 7, Field Programs and Observational Technology
Tuesday, 16 July 2002, 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
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