Polarimetric Doppler Radar
UND operates a dual-polarization Doppler weather radar (NorthPol) for educational and research purposes.
The radar system is used to track severe weather events in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. The Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere (ATSC 345) and Radar Meteorology (ATSC 441) courses cover and discuss the principles of radar remote sensing and interpretation of radar data. You can learn how to run the UND NorthPol radar as part of these classes.
The original components of the UND radar were built by Enterprise Electronics Corporation (model: Weather Surveillance Radar - 1974 C-band: WSR-74C). It was acquired by the Department of Aviation in 1974 for the purpose of weather modification research and training. In 1993 the radar moved to the top of Clifford Hall at the west end of the UND campus. In January 2003 the radar was upgraded with a SIGMET, Inc. digital receiver and signal processor (RVP8), radar antenna controller (RCP8), and radar control, analysis, and display software (IRIS). In January 2004 the radar was upgraded to a dual-polarized system and has been operated in support of research and academic programs of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. Read more about the history of NorthPol.
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Latitude | 47.921895° |
| Longitude | -97.086436° |
| Elevation | 254.2 m |
| Antenna Height | 26.98 m |
| Antenna Assembly | |
| Reflector Type | Circular parabolic dish |
| Reflector Size | 12 ft (3.66 m) |
| Feed Type | Dual polarized horn |
| Polarization | Horizontal and vertical |
| Gain | 43.75 (manufactured) |
| Horizontal Beamwidth | 0.99° |
| Vertical Beamwidth | 0.99° |
| Azimuth Limits | None |
| Azimuth Velocity | 20 °/s |
| Elevation Limits | -1 to 90° |
| Elevation Velocity | 10 °/s |
| Synchro Resolution | 0.1° |
| Digital Controller | RCP8 (Sigmet) |
| Receiver | |
| Type | Dual, separate horizontal and vertical channels |
| IF Frequency | 60 MHz |
| Digital Receiver | RVP8 and Dual IFDs (Sigmet) |
| Minimum Detectible Signal (MDS) | -106.5 dB |
| Radar Constant | 64.5 at 2.0μs pulse width |
| Transmitter | |
| Operating Frequency | 5600 MHz |
| Type | Magnetron |
| Peak Power | 250 kW |
| Pulse Width (PW) | 0.6 or 2.0μs |
| Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) | 250 to 1200 pps |
| Data Parameters | |
|
|
**additional content from http://radar.atmos.und.edu/ (history, specs, projects, pictures)**