Middle Atmospheric Wind Measurements Using a Medium Frequency Radar.
Abstract
The Imaging Middle-Atmospheric Geophysical Radar was located at the Boot Lake, Colorado, field site and operated at 2.66 megahertz to collect radar data. The data presented here were collected from 2120 Universal Time to 2310 Universal Time on March 20, 1983. It was operated as a Doppler interferometer to measure winds in the middle atmosphere (16.5 - 91.5 kilometers), which includes the stratosphere and the mesosphere. Highly specular returns were obtained in the lower regions of the middle atmosphere, with specularity increasing as altitude decreased. Algorithms wee developed to take these specular returns and derive useful wind speeds and directions in a region of the middle atmosphere, 30 - 55 kilometers, which had not previously yielded such information easily. Three-dimensional wind vectors were derived, and these values agreed well in direction, but overstated the magnitude when compared with rawinsonde data in the 16.5 - 30 kilometers region. The rawinsonde data were taken at Denver, Colorado, at time periods before and after the data run.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA185931
Entities
People
- Barry B. Coble
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology