RADAR DETECTION OF THUNDERSTORM HAZARDS FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. VOLUME I. STORM CELL DETECTION

A Procedure was developed to detect hazardous regions within thunderstorms using weather radar data. The procedure is based upon the hypotheis theat convective turbulence occurs within 2-3 kn of relative radar relfectivity maxima (cells). The hypothesis was tested using a limited set of simultaneous aircraft radar data. Good agreement was found between the observed regions of convective turbulence and the cell locations determined by radar. The viability of the hazard detection hypothesis as a biasis for automatic warning and forecast depends upon the reliability of the cell detection and tracking algorithms. Analysis of precision radar data revealed that the cells are small in area extent, have a detection probability in excess of 0.9 using multiple radar scans, and are readily tracked for periods between 10 and 20 minutes. The role of Doppler spectral data is explored, and it is found that practical limitations on radar beamwidth hamper directo observation of turbulence on the scale size hazardous to aircraft. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also Volume 2,AD-A032 736.
• Corporate Authors:

  Lincoln Laboratory

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  Lexington, MA  United States  02173
• Authors:
  • Crane, R K
• Publication Date: 1976-10-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 60 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Airport operations; Algorithms; Aviation safety; Doppler effect; Electromagnetic spectrum; Hazards; Radar; Radar beams; Radar detectors; Storms; Thunderstorms; Turbulence; Warning systems; Weather forecasting; Weather radar
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aircraft safety
• Old TRIS Terms: Airport radar systems; Doppler effect spectra; Radar detection; Storm detection
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00150829
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: ATC-67-Vol-1 Proj. Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: F19628-76-C-0002, DOT-FA74WAI-485
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 30 1977 12:00AM