On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network
In the last few years, the number of worldwide operational X-band weather radars has rapidly been growing, thanks to an established technology that offers reliability, high performance, and reduced efforts and costs for installation and maintenance, with respect to the more widespread C- and S-band...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2017-01-01
|
| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/8/2/25 |
| _version_ | 1817986698202578944 |
|---|---|
| author | Andrea Antonini Samantha Melani Manuela Corongiu Stefano Romanelli Alessandro Mazza Alberto Ortolani Bernardo Gozzini |
| author_facet | Andrea Antonini Samantha Melani Manuela Corongiu Stefano Romanelli Alessandro Mazza Alberto Ortolani Bernardo Gozzini |
| author_sort | Andrea Antonini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the last few years, the number of worldwide operational X-band weather radars has rapidly been growing, thanks to an established technology that offers reliability, high performance, and reduced efforts and costs for installation and maintenance, with respect to the more widespread C- and S-band systems. X-band radars are particularly suitable for nowcasting activities, as those operated by the LaMMA (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the sustainable development) Consortium in the framework of its institutional duties of operational meteorological surveillance. In fact, they have the capability to monitor precipitation, resolving very local scales, with good spatial and temporal details, although with a reduced scanning range. The Consortium has recently installed a small network of X-band weather radars that partially overlaps and completes the existing national radar network over the north Tyrrhenian area. This paper describes the implementation of this regional network, detailing the aspects related with the radar signal processing chain that provides the final reflectivity composite, starting from the acquisition of the signal power data. The network performances are then qualitatively assessed for three case studies characterised by different precipitation regimes and different seasons. Results are satisfactory especially during intense precipitations, particularly regarding what concerns their spatial and temporal characterisation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:12:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b735b918e3d34291aac5da3ec211edac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T00:12:36Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-b735b918e3d34291aac5da3ec211edac2022-12-22T02:23:16ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332017-01-01822510.3390/atmos8020025atmos8020025On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar NetworkAndrea Antonini0Samantha Melani1Manuela Corongiu2Stefano Romanelli3Alessandro Mazza4Alberto Ortolani5Bernardo Gozzini6LaMMA Consortium, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, ItalyLaMMA Consortium, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, ItalyLaMMA Consortium, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, ItalyLaMMA Consortium, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, ItalyLaMMA Consortium, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, ItalyLaMMA Consortium, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, ItalyLaMMA Consortium, via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, ItalyIn the last few years, the number of worldwide operational X-band weather radars has rapidly been growing, thanks to an established technology that offers reliability, high performance, and reduced efforts and costs for installation and maintenance, with respect to the more widespread C- and S-band systems. X-band radars are particularly suitable for nowcasting activities, as those operated by the LaMMA (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the sustainable development) Consortium in the framework of its institutional duties of operational meteorological surveillance. In fact, they have the capability to monitor precipitation, resolving very local scales, with good spatial and temporal details, although with a reduced scanning range. The Consortium has recently installed a small network of X-band weather radars that partially overlaps and completes the existing national radar network over the north Tyrrhenian area. This paper describes the implementation of this regional network, detailing the aspects related with the radar signal processing chain that provides the final reflectivity composite, starting from the acquisition of the signal power data. The network performances are then qualitatively assessed for three case studies characterised by different precipitation regimes and different seasons. Results are satisfactory especially during intense precipitations, particularly regarding what concerns their spatial and temporal characterisation.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/8/2/25X-band weather radarsignal processingradar networking |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Antonini Samantha Melani Manuela Corongiu Stefano Romanelli Alessandro Mazza Alberto Ortolani Bernardo Gozzini On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network Atmosphere X-band weather radar signal processing radar networking |
| title | On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network |
| title_full | On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network |
| title_fullStr | On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network |
| title_short | On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network |
| title_sort | on the implementation of a regional x band weather radar network |
| topic | X-band weather radar signal processing radar networking |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/8/2/25 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreaantonini ontheimplementationofaregionalxbandweatherradarnetwork AT samanthamelani ontheimplementationofaregionalxbandweatherradarnetwork AT manuelacorongiu ontheimplementationofaregionalxbandweatherradarnetwork AT stefanoromanelli ontheimplementationofaregionalxbandweatherradarnetwork AT alessandromazza ontheimplementationofaregionalxbandweatherradarnetwork AT albertoortolani ontheimplementationofaregionalxbandweatherradarnetwork AT bernardogozzini ontheimplementationofaregionalxbandweatherradarnetwork |