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Ann. Geophys., 19, 845-854, 2001
www.ann-geophys.net/19/845/2001/
© European Geosciences Union 2001
Clear air boundary layer spaced antenna wind measurement with the Multiple Antenna Profiler (MAPR)
S. A. Cohn, W. O. J. Brown, C. L. Martin, M. E. Susedik, G. D. Maclean, and D. B. Parsons
NCAR/Atmospheric Technology Division, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA
Abstract. Spaced antenna (SA) wind
measurement techniques are applied to Multiple Antenna Profiler (MAPR) data to
evaluate its performance in clear air conditions. MAPR is a multiple antenna
915 MHz wind profiler developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR) and described in Cohn et al. (1997), designed to make high resolution
wind measurements. Previous reported measurements with MAPR were restricted to
precipitation because of low signal to noise (SNR) and signal to ground-clutter
(SCR) ratios. By using a standard pulse-coding technique and upgrading the
profiler control software, increases in average power and SNR were achieved,
making routine measurements in clear air possible. Comparison of winds measured
by MAPR and by a sonic anemometer on a nearby 300 m tower show correlation
coefficients in the range of R2 = 0.75 – 0.80, and an average
absolute error of ~ 1.4 m s - 1 . This compares favorably with the agreement
typically found in wind profiler comparisons. We also consider the use of the
parameter ah , which is related to the value of the cross-correlation function
at its zero crossing. This parameter is a data quality indicator and possibly a
key component in a ground clutter removal technique.
Key words. Meteorology and
atmospheric dynamics (mesoscale meteorology; instruments and techniques) –
Radio science (remote sensing)
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