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RWP

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rwp: Radar Wind Profiler

The radar wind profiler/radio acoustic sounding system (RWP/RASS), available in 915-MHz (for U.S. deployments) and 1290-MHz (for foreign deployments), measures wind profiles and backscattered signal strength between (nominally) 0.1 km and 5 km and virtual temperature profiles between 0.1 km and 2.5 km. However, ARM no longer operates the RASS portion.

The RWP transmits electromagnetic energy into the atmosphere in as many as five directions (four tilted in opposing vertical planes and on vertical) and measures the strength and frequency of backscattered energy. Calculation of the Doppler shift of the returned signal allows calculation of the atmospheric wind profile.

Measurements

Atmospheric turbulence Radar Doppler Virtual temperature
Backscattered radiation Radar reflectivity
Horizontal wind Vertical velocity

Locations

  • Fixed
  • AMF1
  • AMF2
  • AMF3

Active Instrument Locations

Facility Name Instrument Start Date
Billings, OK (SE radar wind profiler site, Intermediate / Auxiliary) 2011-04-28
Central Facility, Lamont, OK 1997-05-19
Oliktok Point, Alaska; AMF3 2015-08-01
Gan Airport, Gan Island, Maldives; AMF2 2020-03-30
Lamont, OK (NW radar wind profiler site, Intermediate / Auxiliary) 2011-04-25
Tonkawa, OK (NE radar wind profiler site, Intermediate / Auxiliary) 2011-05-02

2020

Giangrande S, D Wang, and D Mechem. 2020. "Cloud regimes over the Amazon Basin: perspectives from the GoAmazon2014/5 campaign." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 20(12), 10.5194/acp-20-7489-2020.

Shapiro A, CK Potvin, JG Gebauer, AK Theisen, and NA Dahl. 2020. Improving Vertical Velocity Retrievals from Doppler Radar Observations of Convection Field Campaign Report. Ed. by Robert Stafford, ARM user facility. DOE/SC-ARM-19-015.

Carneiro R and G Fisch. 2020. "Observational analysis of the daily cycle of the planetary boundary layer in the central Amazon during a non-El Nino year and El Nino year (GoAmazon project 2014/5)." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 20(9), 10.5194/acp-20-5547-2020.

Wang D, S Giangrande, Z Feng, J Hardin, and A Prein. 2020. "Updraft and Downdraft Core Size and Intensity as Revealed by Radar Wind Profilers: MCS Observations and Idealized Model Comparisons." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 125(11), e2019JD031774, 10.1029/2019JD031774.
Research Highlight

Muradyan P and R Coulter. 2020. Sonic Detection and Ranging Wind Profiler Instrument Handbook. Ed. by Robert Stafford, ARM user facility. DOE/SC-ARM-TR-154.

Riley E, J Kleiss, L Riihimaki, C Long, L Berg, and E Kassianov. 2020. "Shallow cumuli cover and its uncertainties from ground-based lidar-radar data and sky images." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 13(4), 10.5194/amt-13-2099-2020.

Carneiro RG, G Fisch, CK Borges, and A HENKES. 2020. "Erosion of the nocturnal boundary layer in the central Amazon during the dry season." Acta Amazonica, 50(1), 10.1590/1809-4392201804453.

Muradyan P and R Coulter. 2020. Radar Wind Profiler (RWP) and Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) Instrument Handbook. Ed. by Robert Stafford, U.S. Department of Energy. DOE/SC-ARM/TR-044.

Johnson R and P Ciesielski. 2020. "Potential Vorticity Generation by West African Squall Lines." Monthly Weather Review, 148(4), 10.1175/MWR-D-19-0342.1.

Lubin D, D Zhang, I Silber, R Scott, P Kalogeras, A Battaglia, D Bromwich, M Cadeddu, E Eloranta, A Fridlind, A Frossard, K Hines, S Kneifel, W Leaitch, W Lin, J Nicolas, H Powers, P Quinn, P Rowe, L Russell, S Sharma, J Verlinde, and A Vogelmann. 2020. "AWARE: The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) West Antarctic Radiation Experiment." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 101(7), 10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0278.1.

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