Ground-Based Remote Sensing of Cloud Properties Using Millimeter-Wave Radar

Abstract

The elements of radar signal processing are described in the context of climate applications of radar. To this end descriptions of radar hardware are minimized and emphasis is placed on describing the transformation of the radar signal as it propagates from the transmitter up into the atmosphere and then back to the radar receiver after a scattering event. For the final radar observables to be of use to the climate community, they must be turned into quantitative measures of the location and properties of clouds. Descriptions of recent algorithm development efforts are described to illustrate approaches and techniques that are being developed to accomplish the goal of producing quantitative descriptions of cloud properties from the radar observables.