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Persistent URL http://purl.org/net/epubs/work/49397
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Record Id 49397
Title Validation of a new signal processing scheme for the MST radar at Aberystwyth
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Abstract This paper describes a new signal processing scheme for the 46.5 MHz Doppler Beam Swinging wind-profiling radar at Aberystwyth, in the UK. Although the techniques used are similar to those already described in literature - i.e. the identification of multiple signal components within each spectrum and the use of radial- and time-continuity algorithms for quality-control purposes - it is shown that they must be adapted for the specific meteorological environment above Aberystwyth. In particular they need to take into account the three primary causes of unwanted signals: ground clutter, interference, and Rayleigh scatter from hydrometeors under stratiform precipitation conditions. Attention is also paid to the fact that short-period gravity-wave activity can lead to an invalidation of the fundamental assumption of the wind field remaining stationary over the temporal and spatial scales encompassed by a cycle of observation. Methods of identifying and accounting for such conditions are described. The random measurement error associated with horizontal wind components is estimated to be 3.0 - 4.0 m s-1 for single cycle data. This reduces to 2.0 - 3.0 m s-1 for data averaged over 30 min. The random measurement error associated with vertical wind components is estimated to be 0.2 - 0.3 m s-1. This cannot be reduced by time-averaging as significant natural variability is expected over intervals of just a few minutes under conditions of short-period gravity-wave activity.
Organisation SSTD , EOASD , STFC
Keywords meteorology and atmospheric dynamics , Physics , Natural environment , radio science
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Language English (EN)
Type Details URI(s) Local file(s) Year
Journal Article Annales Geophysicae 26, no. 11 (2008): 3253-3268. doi:10.5194/angeo-26-3253-2008 hooper-et-al_2008…accepted-version.pdf 2008