Boon Leng Cheong

Observations of the 10 May 2010 Tornado Outbreak Using OU-PRIME: Potential for New Science with High-Resolution Polarimetric Radar

A tornado outbreak occurred in central Oklahoma on 10 May 2010, including two tornadoes with enhanced Fujita scale ratings of 4 (EF-4). Tragically, three deaths were reported along with significant property damage. Several strong and violent tornadoes occurred near Norman, Oklahoma, which is a major hub for severe storms research and is arguably one of the best observed regions of the country with multiple Doppler radars operated by both the federal government and the University of Oklahoma (OU). One of the most recent additions to the radars in Norman is the high-resolution OU Polarimetric Radar for Innovations in Meteorology and Engineering (OU-PRIME). As the name implies, the radar is used as a platform for research and education in both science and engineering studies using polarimetric radar. To facilitate usage of the system by students and faculty, OU-PRIME was constructed adjacent to the National Weather Center building on the OU research campus. On 10 May 2010, several tornadoes formed near the c...

A Time Series Weather Radar Simulator Based on High-Resolution Atmospheric Models

Abstract A three-dimensional radar simulator capable of generating simulated raw time series data for a weather radar has been designed and implemented. The characteristics of the radar signals (amplitude, phase) are derived from the atmospheric fields from a high-resolution numerical weather model, although actual measured fields could be used. A field of thousands of scatterers is populated within the field of view of the virtual radar. Reflectivity characteristics of the targets are determined from well-known parameterization schemes. Doppler characteristics are derived by forcing the discrete scatterers to move with the three-dimensional wind field. Conventional moment-generating radar simulators use atmospheric conditions and a set of weighting functions to produce theoretical moment maps, which allow for the study of radar characteristics and limitations given particular configurations. In contrast to these radar simulators, the algorithm presented here is capable of producing sample-to-sample time ...

Observations of the Small-Scale Variability of Precipitation Using an Imaging Radar

For many years, spatial and temporal inhomogeneities in precipitation fields have been studied using scanning radars, cloud radars, and disdrometers, for example. Each measurement technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. Conventional profiling radars point vertically and collect data while the atmosphere advects across the field of view. Invoking Taylor’s frozen turbulence hypothesis, it is possible to construct time-history data, which are used to study the structure and dynamics of the atmosphere. In the present work, coherent radar imaging is used to estimate the true three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere within the field of view of the radar. The 915-MHz turbulent eddy profiler radar is well suited for imaging studies and was used in June 2003 to investigate the effects of turbulence on the formation of rain. The Capon adaptive algorithm was implemented for imaging and clutter rejection purposes. In the past several years, work by the authors and others has proven the Capon method to be effective in this regard and to possess minimal computational burden. A simple but robust filtering procedure is presented whereby echoes from precipitation and clear-air turbulence can be separated, facilitating the study of their interaction. By exploiting the three-dimensional views provided by this imaging radar, it is shown that boundary layer turbulence can have either a constructive or destructive effect on the formation of precipitation. Evidence is also provided that shows that this effect can be enhanced by updrafts in the wind field.

Pulse pair beamforming and the effects of reflectivity field variations on imaging radars

[1] Coherent radar imaging (CRI), which is fundamentally a beamforming process, has been used to create images of microscale, reflectivity structures within the resolution volume of atmospheric Doppler radars. This powerful technique has the potential to unlock many new discoveries in atmospheric studies. The Turbulent Eddy Profiler (TEP) is a unique 915 MHz boundary layer radar consisting of a maximum of 91 independent receivers. The TEP configuration allows sophisticated CRI algorithms to be implemented providing significant improvement in angular resolution. The present work includes a thorough simulation study of some of the capabilities of the TEP system. The pulse pair processor, used for radial velocity and spectral width estimation with meteorological radars, is combined with beamforming technique, in an efficient manner, to the imaging radar case. By numerical simulation the new technique is shown to provide robust and computationally efficient estimates of the spectral moments. For this study, a recently developed atmospheric radar simulation method is employed that uses the ten thousand scattering points necessary for the high resolution imaging simulation. Previous methods were limited in the number of scatterers due to complexity issues. Radial velocity images from the beamforming radar are used to estimate the three-dimensional wind field map within the resolution volume. It is shown that a large root mean square (RMS) error in imputed three-dimensional wind fields can occur using standard Fourier imaging. This RMS error does not improve even as SNR is increased. The cause of the error is reflectivity variations within the resolution volume. The finite beamwidth of the beamformer skews the radial velocity estimate, and this results in poor wind field estimates. Adaptive Capon beamforming consistently outperforms the Fourier method in the quantitative study and has been demonstrated to enhance the performance compared to the Fourier method. INDEX TERMS: 6969 Radio Science: Remote sensing; 6974 Radio Science: Signal processing; 6982 Radio Science: Tomography and imaging; 6994 Radio Science: Instruments and techniques; KEYWORDS: pulse pair beamforming, gradient variations, imaging radars

Refractivity Retrieval Using the Phased-Array Radar: First Results and Potential for Multimission Operation

In this paper, an investigation of the potential of rapid refractivity retrieval is presented. The retrieval technique utilizes radar phase measurements of ground clutter to derive near-surface refractivity, which has been commonly used as a proxy for humidity, given its close relation to vapor pressure. Surface humidity is an important meteorological parameter and has been known to play an important role in convective initiation. In this paper, the refractivity retrieval technique is exploited by using smaller numbers of samples for phase calculation, which is a fundamental process in refractivity retrieval. The impetus for this paper is to explore the possibility of rapid refractivity retrieval by exploiting the rapid beam-steering capability of a phased-array radar. Using the National Weather Radar Testbed in Norman, OK, a 64-pulse per radial raw-data set was collected for conventional refractivity processing. Then, subsets of the 64 samples were extracted to emulate shorter dwell periods and the corresponding more rapid experiments. The test cases that were considered are 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 samples. Refractivity fields retrieved using smaller numbers of samples are compared against the reference field, which was obtained using the entire 64-sample data set. It will be shown that, statistically, significant refractivity fields can be obtained from as short as a two-sample dwell.

PHASED ARRAY DESIGN FOR BIOLOGICAL CLUTTER REJECTION: SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION

Abstract This paper highlights recent results obtained with the Turbulent Eddy Profiler (TEP), which was developed by the University of Massachusetts. This unique 915-MHz radar has up to 64 spatially separated receiving elements, each with an independent receiver. The calibrated raw data provided by this array could be processed using sophisticated imaging algorithms to resolve the horizontal structures within each range gate. After collecting all of the closely spaced horizontal slices, the TEP radar can produce three-dimensional images of echo power, radial velocity, and spectral width. From the radial velocity measurements, it is possible to estimate the three-dimensional wind with high horizontal and vertical resolution. Given the flexibility of the TEP system, various array configurations are possible. In the present work exploitation of the flexibility of TEP is attempted to enhance the rejection of clutter from unwanted biological targets. From statistical studies, most biological clutter results f...

The Atmospheric Imaging Radar: Simultaneous Volumetric Observations Using a Phased Array Weather Radar

AbstractMobile weather radars often utilize rapid-scan strategies when collecting observations of severe weather. Various techniques have been used to improve volume update times, including the use of agile and multibeam radars. Imaging radars, similar in some respects to phased arrays, steer the radar beam in software, thus requiring no physical motion. In contrast to phased arrays, imaging radars gather data for an entire volume simultaneously within the field of view (FOV) of the radar, which is defined by a broad transmit beam. As a result, imaging radars provide update rates significantly exceeding those of existing mobile radars, including phased arrays. The Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) is engaged in the design, construction, and testing of a mobile imaging weather radar system called the atmospheric imaging radar (AIR). Initial tests performed with the AIR demonstrate the benefits and versatility of utilizing beamforming techniques to achieve high spatial...

Effects of Wind Field Inhomogeneities on Doppler Beam Swinging Revealed by an Imaging Radar

Abstract In this work, the accuracy of the Doppler beam-swinging (DBS) technique for wind measurements is studied using an imaging radar—the turbulent eddy profiler (TEP) developed by the University of Massachusetts, with data collected in summer 2003. With up to 64 independent receivers, and using coherent radar imaging (CRI), several hundred partially independent beams can be formed simultaneously within the volume defined by the transmit beam. By selecting a subset of these beams, an unprecedented number of DBS configurations with varying zenith angle, azimuth angle, and number of beams can be investigated. The angular distributions of echo power and radial velocity obtained by CRI provide a unique opportunity to validate the inherent assumption in the DBS method of homogeneity across the region defined by the beam directions. Through comparison with a reference wind field, calculated as the optimal uniform wind field derived from all CRI beams with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the accuracy ...

PX-1000: A Solid-State Polarimetric X-Band Weather Radar and Time–Frequency Multiplexed Waveform for Blind Range Mitigation

In this paper, a compact, transportable, and dual-polarization X-band weather radar was developed at the Advanced Radar Research Center of the University of Oklahoma. The radar was designed using a software-defined radio (SDR) approach for waveform versatility. One of the key innovations in this paper is the combination of SDR design and the mitigation of blind range, which is inherent in pulse compression radars, using a time-frequency multiplexed waveform while compression is performed in pure software architecture. Internally, this radar has been referred to as the PX-1000. It is primarily used as a platform for waveform studies and various signal processing techniques, such as pulse compression, polarimetric signal processing, refractivity retrieval, and support of various field campaigns. The radar system has been completed and is operational. It has two identical and independent power amplifiers, one for each polarization. The system also features a 1.2-m parabolic reflector dish with dual-polarization feed, which provides a 1.8 ° beamwidth. A majority of the components are housed above the turntable of an azimuth-over-elevation pedestal. We also took this opportunity to design and develop a new software suite that includes signal processing, system control, and graphical user interface. The raw I/Q time series can be recorded and streamed out of the radar system in real time. In this paper, a detailed description of the radar and some experimental data will be presented.

Multilag Correlation Estimators for Polarimetric Radar Measurements in the Presence of Noise

AbstractThe quality of polarimetric radar data degrades as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) decreases. This substantially limits the usage of collected polarimetric radar data to high SNR regions. To improve data quality at low SNRs, multilag correlation estimators are introduced. The performance of the multilag estimators for spectral moments and polarimetric parameters is examined through a theoretical analysis and by the use of simulated data. The biases and standard deviations of the estimates are calculated and compared with those estimates obtained using the conventional method.