High-resolution atmospheric profiling using combined spaced antenna and range imaging techniques

A novel approach to high-resolution wind profiling is presented using spaced antenna (SA) and range imaging (RIM) simultaneously. RIM was developed recently to improve the range resolution of pulsed radar by transmitting multiple frequencies. In this work, SA techniques are used to analyze RIM-synthesized signals and obtain high-resolution profiles of three-dimensional wind field. This high-resolution technique is termed RIM-SA. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of RIM-SA to measure wind shears embedded within the radar volume. The applications of RIM-SA in the atmospheric boundary layer and lower free troposphere are demonstrated using the multiple antenna profiler radar (MAPR) of National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). High-resolution profiles using RIM-SA are shown to be consistent with profiles measured by a radiosonde and MAPR using a single frequency and short pulse.