Canadian weather radar network

Canadian weather radar network

The Canadian weather radar network consist of 31 weather radars spanning across Canada's most populated regions. Their primary purpose is the early detection of precipitation, its motion and the threat it poses to life and property. Each has a range of 256 km in radius around the site to detect reflectivity, and a range of 128 km for detecting velocity patterns (Doppler effect).

History

Research in weather radars in Canada began at the end of the Second World War with "Project Stormy Weather" [cite book|last=Atlas|first=David|title=Radar in Meteorology|publisher=American Meteorological Society] . After the war, J.S. Marshall continued at McGill University the work with the "Stormy Weather Group" [cite web|year=2000 | title=Stormy Weather Group| work= McGill University| url=http://www.radar.mcgill.ca/history.html | accessdate=2006-06-15] . The Canadian network was thus gradually formed and by 1997, there were 19 weather radars of two kinds across the country: 18 five centimeter wavelength (C-Band) radars and 1 ten centimeter wavelength (S-Band) at McGill, all of the radars detected reflectivity with 3 sites equipped with Doppler capabilities (Carvel, King City and McGill).

Environment Canada received approval in 1998 to upgrade the network to Doppler standard and to add 12 more radars with the operational characteristics coming from King City Radar (CWKR), the research radar of EC. However, McGill radar (at the J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory), while being part of the network, is owned by McGill University. It is a research as well as an operational radar and is modified independently.

Characteristics

* McGill radar (at the J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory)::* 9 meters (30 feet) diameter antenna.:* Using a klystron to produce a wavelength signal of 10 cm.:* Doppler since 1993 and dual polarization was added in 1999.
*The rest of the network::* The upgraded radar have antennas from two manufacturers: "Enterprise Electronics Corporation" (EEC) and Raytheon. :* The new radar have antennas produced by "Andrew Canada". With a diameter almost double the old ones; resolutions improved by the same amount. :* Use 5 cm wavelength emitting magnetrons.:* Process received reflectivity and Doppler data with "Sigmet Radar Data Systems".:* Each radar in the network will thus be called a WSR-98E, WSR-98R or WSR-98A for Weather Surveillance Radar - 1998 (for the year of the start of the program) and the first letter of the manufacturer (Enterprise, Raytheon or Andrew).

canning Strategy

Because the network is using C band radars, compromises had to be used (see Doppler dilemma) between maximum reflectivity range and maximum non ambiguous velocities. The actual scanning strategy (2006) is divided in two separate scans over 10 minutes:
* Conventional cycle: 24 elevation angles scanned in 5 minutes to obtain a tri-dimensional view of the atmosphere within 256 km of the radar in reflectivities.
* Doppler cycle: 4 angles scanned in reflectivity and velocities, the first three in a range of 128 km and the last within 256 km. This cycle is used to locate possible small scale rotation and shear in the wind pattern as well as the large scale circulation. The velocity data help to filter artifacts in the reflectivity, like ground echos, too.

Only the McGill radar (J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory) using its coherent S-band transmitter acquires reflectivities and velocities during each of its 24 elevation angles: 5 minute cycle time.

List of radars

The modernization process began in the fall of 1998 with the opening of Bethune radar and ended in 2004 with the one in Timmins [cite web|year=2004 | title=The National Radar Program| work= Environment Canada| url=http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/projects/nrp/index_e.cfm|accessdate=2006-06-15] .

References

See also

* NEXRAD, the weather radar network in United States

External links

* [http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/projects/nrp/Montreal_e.cfm Environment Canada description of the different sites]
* [http://weather.ec.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html Real time Canadian weather radar network data by Environment Canada]
* [http://www.andrew.com/products/antennas/radar/default.aspx Andrew radars]
* [http://www.eecradar.com/ Enterprise Electronics Corporation (EEC)]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Weather radar — in Norman, Oklahoma with rainshaft …   Wikipedia

  • King City weather radar station — The King City weather radar station (ICAO site identifier:CWKR) is a weather radar located in King City, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by Environment Canada and is part of the Canadian weather radar network.The site is listed at an elevation of …   Wikipedia

  • Weather forecasting — weather forecaster redirects here. For other uses, see Weatherman (disambiguation). Forecast of surface pressures five days into the future for the north Pacific, North America, and north Atlantic ocean. Weather forecasting is the application of… …   Wikipedia

  • Radar meteorológico — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Un radar meteorológico, o radar meteo, es un tipo de radar usado en meteorología para localizar lluvias, calcular sus trayectorias y estimar sus tipo (lluvia, nieve, granizo, etc.). Además, los datos tridimensionales …   Wikipedia Español

  • J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory — The J.S. Marshall Radar Observatory (or MRO) is a McGill University facility in Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Quebec housing several weather radars and other meteorological sensors, many of them running around the clock. It is one of the components of …   Wikipedia

  • Radar — For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). A long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll …   Wikipedia

  • Weather buoy — operated by the NOAA National Data Buoy Center Weather buoys are instruments which collect …   Wikipedia

  • Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 402 — Infobox Airliner accident name=Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 402 Date=March 4, 1966 Type=Landing Site=Tokyo, Japan Fatalities=64 Aircraft Type=McDonnell Douglas DC 8 43 Operator=Canadian Pacific Airlines Tail Number=airreg|CF|CPK|disaster… …   Wikipedia

  • History of radar — The history of radar starts with experiments by Heinrich Hertz in the late 19th century that showed that radio waves were reflected by metallic objects. This possibility was suggested in James Clerk Maxwell s seminal work on electromagnetism.… …   Wikipedia

  • The Weather Channel (United States) — Infobox TV channel name = The Weather Channel logofile = TWClogo.svg logosize = 150px logoalt = TWC logo logo2 = launch = May 2, 1982 closed date = picture format = 480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) share = share as of = share source = network = owner =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”