Acquisition of Equipment for Calibration and Engineering Tests for University of Iowa's XPOL Radars

1464613 Kruger这笔赠款支持购买电子诊断设备，以提供定期校准和测试的一套四个X波段偏振多普勒雷达以前通过NSF/主要研究仪器奖资助（1000723145）。 这些雷达已经获得、调试和测试部署，研究人员计划近期进行科学部署，以实现高空间（1.5度波束宽度或约1.5度波束宽度）。250平方米像素在10公里的范围）和时间（约。1-2分钟扫描时间）的降雨分布/率，三维风场遥感，并在10-30平方公里的区域区分降雨，冰雹和雪。 ProSensing公司制造了四套完整的定制移动的X波段（3厘米波长）雷达系统。送到了爱荷华州大学。 X波段雷达的选择允许一个小直径天线（6英尺直径）被拖车安装的移动性。 便携式120 V发电机可满足电力需求。 整个系统包括四个雷达天线，安装在卡车拖车上的仰角和方位可变天线，以及控制，数据采集和处理软件和硬件。 移动的雷达网络可支持气象和水文研究，这些研究需要对区域风暴单体内的降水和风场变化进行高分辨率观测。 雷达网络将使气象学和水文学当前感兴趣的多个前沿的研究受益，包括：1）雷达测量流域降雨参数的不确定性的基础研究; 2）降雨事件的多雷达和激光雷达成像，以研究国家NEXRAD范围之间的非线性缩放效应（下一代雷达）S波段网络（平均4平方公里像素分辨率，反射率最大范围~ 230公里）和弹性扫描激光雷达（米级像素分辨率;范围= 1-2公里）; 3）城市化对气象和水文过程影响的研究; 4）无资料流域的洪水预报; 5）土壤侵蚀过程。 雷达设备将用于在爱达荷州、爱荷华州和伊利诺伊州的几个实地实验中，例如伊利诺伊州桑格蒙河流域的中西部集中管理景观关键区观测站（IML-CZO）和爱荷华州爱荷华州市附近的清溪流域。 调查人员打算通过CUAHSI（水文科学促进大学联盟）的广告，UCAR（大学大气研究公司）和CZO网络。 调查人员还计划在爱荷华州大学新开发的雷达工程课程中使用所要求的校准和测试设备。 这种支持是一致的NSF的使命，促进科学的进步和推进国家的健康，繁荣和福利的重要性，推进了解风暴的动力学行为及其洪水的潜力，以及培训学生在雷达遥感和工程与下游劳动力的利益，在气象，水资源管理和雷达系统的应用。

1464613KrugerThis grant supports acquisition of electronics diagnostic equipment to provide for regular calibration and testing of a set of four X-band polarimeteric Doppler Radars previously funded through an NSF/Major Research Instrumentation award (EAR- 0723145). The radars have been acquired, commissioned and test deployed and the investigators plan near-term scientific deployments to allow for high spatial (1.5 deg beamwidth or ca. 250 m2 pixels at 10 km range) and temporal (ca. 1-2 minute scan times) remote sensing of rainfall distribution/rate, the 3-D wind field and to discriminate between rainfall, hail and snow over regions of 10-30 km2. Four complete custom-built mobile X-band (3 cm wavelength) radar systems were built by ProSensing Inc. and delivered to the University of Iowa. The choice of X-band radar allowed for a small diameter antenna (6 ft diameter) to be trailer mounted for mobility. Power requirements are met by portable 120 V generators. The complete system includes the four radar antennae, elevation and azimuth variable pedestals mounted on truck trailers, and control, data acquisition and processing software and hardware. The mobile radar network can support meteorological and hydrologic research requiring high resolution observations of precipitation and wind field variability within regional storm cells. Research on multiple fronts of current interest in meteorology and hydrology will benefit from the radar network including: 1) fundamental studies of uncertainty in radar measurement of rainfall parameters in gauged basins; 2) multi-radar and LiDAR imaging of rainfall events to study non-linear scaling effects between the range of the national NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) S-band network (avg 4 km2 pixel resolution, maximum range of reflectivity ~ 230 km) and elastic scanning LiDAR (meter scale pixel resolution; range = 1-2 km); 3) studies of the effects of urbanization on meteorological and hydrologic processes; 4) flood prediction in ungauged basins; and 5) soil erosion processes. The radar equipment will be used in several field experiments in Idaho, Iowa, and Illinois such as the Midwestern Intensively Managed Landscape Critical Zone Observatory (IML-CZO) in the Sangamon River basin in Illinois and the Clear Creek basin near Iowa City, Iowa. The investigators intend to make the radars broadly availability to the hydrosciences community through advertising via the CUAHSI (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc.), UCAR (Universities Corporation for Atmospheric Research) and the CZO Network. The investigators also plan to use the requested calibration and testing equipment in newly developed courses in radar engineering at the University of Iowa. This support is congruent with NSFs mission of promoting the progress of science and advancing the national health, prosperity and welfare given the importance of advancing understanding the dynamical behavior of storms and their flooding potential as well the training of students in radar remote sensing and engineering with downstream workforce benefits in meteorology, water resources management, and radar systems applications.