Enhancements in the Ground-Based

Wind Measurement Capabilities near Huntsville, Alabama:

Validation for Airborne & Space-Based Doppler Wind Lidars

David Bowdle, Kevin Knupp, Mike Newchurch

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Presented at: Meeting of the Working Group on Space-Based Lidar Winds

Monterey, California, February 5-8, 2008

ARMOR UPGRADESAdvanced Radar for Meteorological and Operational Research (ARMOR)

WSR 74C Doppler Radar• located at the Huntsville Airport• decommissioned, transferred to UAH

2004• upgraded to dual polarization• new receiver, feedhorn, antenna controller• partnership with WHNT-TV

2005/2006• new transmitter, pedestal, antenna

Future• relocate to reduce ground clutter?

MAX ACQUISTIONMobile Alabama X-band (MAX)

Measurements• X-band• Doppler• scanning• dual polarimetric Platform• truck-mounted

Status• operational winter 2008• enables dual-Doppler with ARMOR

MIPS UPGRADESMobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS)

Existing Wind Measurements• Doppler sodar profiler (two units)• 915 MHz wind profiler• X-band profiling radar• scanning 2-m Doppler lidar (MSFC) Proposed Wind Measurements• long-range Doppler wind lidar• short-range high-PRF Doppler wind lidar• dual-polarization W-band Doppler radar profiler• KaX-band dual-polarization scanning Doppler radar

POTENTIALWind Validation for Airborne and Satellite-Based Doppler Lidars

Multiple Doppler Lidars• One fixed• Two independently mobile Dual Polarization Multiple Doppler Radars• One fixed• Multiple independently mobile• includes clear air coverage with/without insect tracers• complementary coverage with clouds

Advanced Regional Model• Assimilation of satellite-based surface energetics• Improves high-resolution models for SEUS & north Alabama

Setting• Moderately complex terrain (orography and land usage)• Some instruments operate for intensives• Some instruments operate 24/7