Evaluation of Wind Vectors Measured by a Bistatic Doppler Radar Network

Abstract

Abstract By installing and linking additional receivers to a monostatic Doppler radar, several wind components can be measured and combined into a wind vector field. Such a bistatic Doppler radar network was developed in 1993 by the National Center for Atmospheric Research and has been in operation at different research departments. Since then, the accuracy of wind vectors has been investigated mainly based on theoretical examinations. Observational analysis of the accuracy has been limited to comparisons of dual-Doppler-derived wind vectors always including the monostatic Doppler radar. Intercomparisons to independent wind measurements have not yet been accomplished. In order to become an alternative to monostatic multiple–Doppler applications, the reliability of wind vector fields has to be also proven by observational analysis. In this paper wind vectors measured by a bistatic Doppler radar network are evaluated by 1) internally comparing results of bistatic receivers; 2) comparing with independent wind measurements observed by a second Doppler radar; and 3) comparing with in situ flight measurements achieved with a research aircraft during stratiform precipitation events. Investigations show how reliable bistatically measured wind fields are and how they can contribute highly to research studies, weather surveillance, and forecasting. As a result of the intercomparison, the instrumentation error of the bistatic receivers can be assumed to be within 1 m s−1. Differences between bistatic Doppler radar and independent measurements range mainly between 2 and 3 m s−1.