Weather radar is a radar specially used for atmospheric detection. It is an active microwave atmospheric remote sensing equipment. High-altitude wind radar used in conjunction with radiosondes is only a specialized device for positioning displacement balloons and is generally not considered such a radar.
Weather radar is one of the main detection tools used to warn and forecast medium- and small-scale weather systems (such as typhoons and heavy rain clouds).
Conventional radar devices are generally composed of directional antennas, transmitters, receivers, antenna controllers, displays and camera devices, electronic computers and image transmission.
Meteorological Doppler radar operating in the 30-3000 MHz frequency band. Generally have high detection sensitivity. Because the detection altitude range can reach 1 to 100 kilometers, it is also called mid-stratosphere-tropospheric radar (MSTradar). It is mainly used to detect the vertical distribution of atmospheric dynamic parameters such as wind, atmospheric turbulence and atmospheric stability (see atmospheric static stability) in clear-sky atmosphere.
Weather radar uses a wide range of radio wavelengths, from 1 centimeter to 1000 centimeters. They are often divided into different bands to represent the radar's main functions. The commonly used wavelengths of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 cm in weather radar correspond to K-band (wavelength 0.75-2.4 cm), X-band (wavelength 2.4-3.75 cm), C-band (wavelength 3.75-7.5 cm), and S-band. (wavelength 7.5-15 cm) and L-band (wavelength 15-30 cm), the wavelength ranges of UHF and VHF radar are 10-100 cm and 100-1000 cm respectively. The performance of radar in detecting atmospheric targets is closely related to its operating wavelength. Considering the scattering and absorption of radio waves by cloud and rain particles together, various wave bands have only a certain range of application. K-band radar is commonly used to detect various clouds that do not produce precipitation. X, C and S-band radars are used to detect precipitation. The S-band is most suitable for detecting heavy rain and hail. Highly sensitive UHF and VHF radars can detect the troposphere. - Clear air flow field in the stratosphere-middle level.
Weather Radar