Acquisition of Equipment for Calibration and Engineering Tests for University of Iowa's XPOL Radars

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Abstract

1464613 Kruger This grant supports acquisition of electronics diagnostic equipment to provide for regular calibration and testing of a set of four X-band polarimeteric Doppler Radars previously funded through an NSF/Major Research Instrumentation award (EAR- 0723145). The radars have been acquired, commissioned and test deployed and the investigators plan near-term scientific deployments to allow for high spatial (1.5 deg beamwidth or ca. 250 m2 pixels at 10 km range) and temporal (ca. 1-2 minute scan times) remote sensing of rainfall distribution/rate, the 3-D wind field and to discriminate between rainfall, hail and snow over regions of 10-30 km2. Four complete custom-built mobile X-band (3 cm wavelength) radar systems were built by ProSensing Inc. and delivered to the University of Iowa. The choice of X-band radar allowed for a small diameter antenna (6 ft diameter) to be trailer mounted for mobility. Power requirements are met by portable 120 V generators. The complete system includes the four radar antennae, elevation and azimuth variable pedestals mounted on truck trailers, and control, data acquisition and processing software and hardware. The mobile radar network can support meteorological and hydrologic research requiring high resolution observations of precipitation and wind field variability within regional storm cells. Research on multiple fronts of current interest in meteorology and hydrology will benefit from the radar network including: 1) fundamental studies of uncertainty in radar measurement of rainfall parameters in gauged basins; 2) multi-radar and LiDAR imaging of rainfall events to study non-linear scaling effects between the range of the national NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) S-band network (avg 4 km2 pixel resolution, maximum range of reflectivity ~ 230 km) and elastic scanning LiDAR (meter scale pixel resolution; range = 1-2 km); 3) studies of the effects of urbanization on meteorological and hydrologic processes; 4) flood prediction in ungauged basins; and 5) soil erosion processes. The radar equipment will be used in several field experiments in Idaho, Iowa, and Illinois such as the Midwestern Intensively Managed Landscape Critical Zone Observatory (IML-CZO) in the Sangamon River basin in Illinois and the Clear Creek basin near Iowa City, Iowa. The investigators intend to make the radars broadly availability to the hydrosciences community through advertising via the CUAHSI (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc.), UCAR (Universities Corporation for Atmospheric Research) and the CZO Network. The investigators also plan to use the requested calibration and testing equipment in newly developed courses in radar engineering at the University of Iowa. This support is congruent with NSFs mission of promoting the progress of science and advancing the national health, prosperity and welfare given the importance of advancing understanding the dynamical behavior of storms and their flooding potential as well the training of students in radar remote sensing and engineering with downstream workforce benefits in meteorology, water resources management, and radar systems applications.