Airborne Studies of Clouds and Precipitation with a Millimeter Wavelength Radar

项目摘要/VALI，9712859/McIntosh，9713778自1989年以来，在物理气象学计划的支持下，马萨诸塞大学的微波遥感实验室和怀俄明大学的大气科学系在95 GHz机载、多普勒、偏振雷达的设计、开发、安装和应用方面进行了合作。该奖项为机载毫米波长雷达的开发和应用提供进一步支持，结合King Air的现场测量，将实施的硬件和软件改进包括增加可选择的滤光片以匹配各种脉冲长度，使用新的校准技术来提高最小可检测的线性消偏率，开发测量近距离反射率的能力(以改进与现场探头的比较)，以及开发一种新的设备，允许在逐个脉冲的基础上在前后方向之间切换波束。云和降水研究将集中在以下方面：1)继续研究佛罗里达州积云，包括海洋和大陆起源的对比云，利用毫米雷达和CP-2雷达数据的伪双多普勒融合反演x-z风截面，2)扩展空中速度方位显示方法，研究俄勒冈州层层的波浪状特征，3)探索极化能力，包括对不同冰晶种群的实测和建模共极化和交叉极化后向散射进行比较，4)对测量和预测的反射率相关的不确定性进行量化。此外，我们建议在法国F-27科考机上安装毫米波长雷达，用于在法国被称为TRAC98的野外观测计划中对边界层积云动力学进行伪双多普勒研究。这不仅是一个很好的国际合作，而且对于NSF资助的研究来说也是非常划算的。

PROJECT SUMMARY/Vali, 9712859/McIntosh, 9713778 Airborne Studies of Clouds and Precipitation with a Millimeter Wavelength Radar Since 1989, with support by the Physical Meteorology Program, the Microwave Remote Sensing Laboratory, at the University of Massachusetts and the Department of Atmospheric Science, at the University of Wyoming have collaborated in the design, development, installation, and application of a 95GHz, airborne, Doppler, polarimetric radar. This award provides further support for development and application of the airborne millimeter-wavelength radar, in combination with in-situ measurements from the King Air Hardware and software improvements to be implemented include addition of selectable filters to match a variety of pulse lengths, use of a new calibration technique to improve the minimum detectable Linear Depolarization Ratio, development of the capability to measure reflectivity at closer range (to improve comparisons with the in-situ probes), and development of a new device to allow switching the beam between fore and aft directions on a pulse-by-pulse basis. Cloud and precipitation research will focus on 1) continued study of Florida cumulus clouds, including contrasting clouds of maritime and continental origins, retrieval of x-z wind cross-sections with a pseudo-dual Doppler merging of the millimeter radar and CP-2 radar data, 2) extension of the Airborne Velocity Azimuth Display method to study wave-like features in Oregon stratus, 3 exploration of polarimetric capabilities, including comparisons of measured and modeled co-polarized and cross- polarized backscafler for different ice-crystal populations, and 4) quantifying the uncertainties associated with measured and predicted reflectivities. In addition, we propose to mount the millimeter-wavelength radar on the French F-27 research aircraft, for pseudo-dual Doppler studies of boundary layer cumulus dynamics in a field observational program in France known as TRAC98. This is n ot only a good international collaboration, but also very cost-effective for the NSF-funded research.