Mobile Doppler Radars
- Mobile radars can operate in the near-storm environment to provide scientists with data that corroborates their research.
The two Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching Radars (SMART-Rs) are mobile C-band Doppler radars built by a coalition of weather research institutions, including NSSL. Collaborators use the SMART-Rs to study convective and mesoscale atmospheric processes to better understand tornadic thunderstorms, squall lines, land-falling hurricanes, and the role of surface boundaries in the initiation of storms. The SMART-R's provide enhanced observing opportunities for phenomena that occur on short time and space scales and require flexible deployment. The extended operational domain makes it more likely a particular type of weather event can be sampled continuously and rapidly in the lowest altitudes of a storm system. Research is underway to investigate the possibility of upgrading one of the SMART-R C-band radars to allow dual-polarized operation.
NSSL is working with the University of Oklahoma to develop and deploy a mobile dual-polarized X-band radar. Like the SMART-Rs, dual-pol X-band radar will be a versatile facility that will allow researchers to get closer to real-time weather phenomena in various locations and climates.
