A Report on the NCAR S-Pol and CSU-CHILL Integrated Radar Facilities

1. A Report on theNCAR S-Pol and CSU-CHILL Integrated Radar Facilities

2. CHILL Site

3. Overview • NSF asked NCAR and CSU to develop a framework for aligning the various activities of both Facilities • Many planning meetings were held between EOL and CSU staff starting in the fall of 2006 • Integrated Weather Radar Facility (IWRF) white paper developed, reviewed by various members of our community • Briefing presented to NSF in April 2008 • Recommendation made to move ahead with the IWRF • Overarching goal is to provide enhanced services to the user community

4. Strategic Thrusts • “Integrate” CSU/CHILL and NCAR/S-Pol systems • Permits sharing of expertise and ideas • Work together on problems of mutual interest • Provide commonality for various components of the radar • Compliment the “deployment” mission of S-Pol and the “development” mission of CSU-CHILL • Broaden the use of the facilities for education • Individual business structures maintained • CHILL funded by a Cooperative Agreement from NSF • S-Pol funding as part of NCAR base funding

5. Theme Areas under the Integrated Facility • Engineering • System engineering, advanced development, data and visualization • Strategic Science • Centered on “Front Range Laboratory” and potential science applications • Education • Innovative educational utilization of real time and archived data from S-Pol and CHILL

6. Unique Advancements throughNCAR – CSU Collaboration (1) • Accelerate development-to-deployment time for hardware and software initiatives • Integrated engineering efforts • Uninterrupted development during S-Pol deployment • Combine expertise available at S-Pol and CSU-CHILL for educational opportunities • Remote real time presentations (V-CHILL); VCHILL to be installed on S-Pol • Case study data collection, digital library • Participation in CSU educational initiatives by NCAR staff • Recent ASP Remote Sensing Symposium was an example

7. V-CHILL can be downloaded at www.chill.colostate.edu The Virtual CHILL - VCHILL Radar Controller/ Signal Processor/ Storage • Enables remote real-time data • Time series • Radar products • Enables remote signal processing • Enables remote operation Tx. Waveform Rx. Signal Radar Hardware Internet Remote Client Remote Clients Remote Processor

8. Unique Advancements throughNCAR – CSU Collaboration (2) • Development of remote/unattended operational capability • Reduce staffing levels during data collection • Enhanced efficiency • More periods of data collection • S-Pol to operate at home base when not deployed • Follows the CSU-CHILL model

9. Short Term Projects--Underway • S-Pol adapting the new CHILL timing control • Both CHILL and S-Pol have purchased new (identical) antenna controllers • S-Pol HAWK signal processing system has been installed on CHILL as a parallel processor. Facilitates NCAR work with the National Weather Service. HAWK system utilizes the digitized I,Q data from CHILL as input. Output is generated for the NCAR CIDD scientific display which is also operational at CHILL.

10. Short Term Projects, continued…. • The current CHILL signal processor will be implemented on S-Pol. Therefore both radars will have identical, parallel processing systems (CHILL and HAWK). NCAR gained valuable experience in TiMREX where they operated the current S-Pol and HAWK processors in parallel.

11. Integrated Architecture Transmitter Common Architecture S-Pol Antenna Receiver Digital Waveform Synthesis Scan and System Control Antenna Electronics S-Pol Digital Receiver Signal Processing Transmitter Antenna Controller Data Capture and Display CHILL Antenna Receiver Antenna Electronics Common Software Common Hardware CSU-CHILL Collaboratively Specified and Designed Independently Designed

12. Short Term Projects, continued…. • Improve polarimetric capabilities of S-Pol antenna. Photogrammatic analysis of the current S-Pol reflector has been carried out to determine surface accuracy. Analysis currently underway. Options include: • Purchase new OMT feedhorn for S-Pol and use current reflector • Use 1994 CHILL feedhorn and current S-Pol reflector • Use entire 1994 CHILL antenna on S-Pol (mechanical study has been done to determine suitability for non-radome operations)

14. Local Operational Aspects (1) • Dedicated efforts towards target of opportunity, home-base operation of both radars…when not supporting NSF projects • Allows continuous testing and development of • Automated calibration techniques • Signal processing algorithms • Remote control capabilities • S-Pol will be maintained in an operational, ready state when not deployed

15. Local Operational Aspects (2) • Re-location of S-Pol could ultimately allow CHILL and S-Pol to become anchor points in a Colorado Front Range Observing Network • Provide a cost-effective, high value technology test-bed for validating new instruments and measurements. Serve as a “magnet” for a variety of field projects. • None of these local activities will reduce the radars’ traditional availabilities for NSF-supported projects

16. 51 km 73 km 63 km 42 km KCYS TDWR

17. N E S Grand View W • 40° 2.361’ N; 104° 55.696’ W; 5195’ MSL • SE of I-25/Hwy 52; ~4 miles S of Dacono; ~5 miles SW of Ft. Lupton • 63 km from Continental Divide; 51 km from CHILL/ 42 km from KFTG • 0.5° terrain blockage to S; nearly 0° horizon in all other directions • Clutter to NE (Ft Lupton) but can use CMD; good for refractivity • Excellent site but should check for planned developments

18. Front Range Network Science Possibilities • High resolution 3D wind and dual-polarization observations available on the mesoscale, over varying terrain • Evolution of the boundary layer wind and moisture patterns • Diagnoses of airflow and hydrometeor fields in convective storms (especially those producing hail, locally heavy rainfall, etc.) • Precipitation processes in winter “upslope” events • Validation of kinematic and microphysical fields in numerical models • Flash flood/complex terrain studies • Investigations into realtime applications of network data • Algorithm improvements (hydrometeor ID, etc.) • Assimilation of radar data fields into NWP models

19. Timeline

20. Dual Offset-Feed Gregorian Antenna System Operational March 2008

21. CSU-CHILL developing a second frequency, X-band (polarimetric) Rainfall estimation High resolution microphysics Dual-wavelength attenuation studies Test data planned in winter 2010 Solid-state transmitter upgrade MRI-2 competition Increased reliability Improved range resolution and faster scanning (frequency diversity and pulse compression) Improved range and velocity ambiguity mitigation

22. X-band -41 dB x-pol Desired sidelobe envelope Design is much better Dual-frequency feedhorn being constructed 0.3 degree beamwidth at X-band, boresighted with 1.0 degree beam at S-band S-band -38 x-pol

23. S-Pol projects include: Installation of WSR-88D transmitter for better performance and reliability Antenna upgrade, as described earlier. Expect Ldr limit to -35 dB (currently at -30 dB) and improved H,V pattern matching S-Pol now features CMD, Clutter Mitigation Decision for real time clutter mitigation (does not filter zero velocity weather) TRMM-LBA 1999 All leads to better data quality and reliability…. NAME 2004

24. CSU-CHILL data from 15 June 2009 Yesterday when you were listening to all those great science talks……

26. Differential reflectivity Specific differential phase showing rain rates in excess of 4 inches per hour, mixed with hail (note Zdr field)