A High Resolution Airborne Atmospheic Boundary Layer and Surface Wind Field Imager for the NOAA WP-3D Aircraft

Accurate, high resolution, continuous monitoring of the lower atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and ocean surface wind fields within tropical cyclones is required to improve intensity forecasting. This proposed Phase II effort will build on the Phase I project successes to realize an operational airborne imaging Doppler radar (AWRAP) capable of providing these winds with up to 15-meter vertical resolution from a minimum of 5000 feet to, and including, the ocean surface. Specifically, the Phase II effort shall develop an advanced, real-time digital receiver processing system capable of removing ocean surface contamination of the low altitude Doppler measurements in order to map the ABL winds to the surface and a novel transceiver that will significantly reduce costs and improve accuracy and sensitivity. Leveraging support from NOAA NESDIS and HRD, and operational AWRAP system will be constructed for deployment on the NOAA WP-3D aircraft. In addition to serving the tropical cyclone forecasting and research communities, this system and innovations developed can service the homeland defense and weather industries. Finally this Phase II effort will provide an archive of the 2005 and 2006 ABL and ocean surface wind fields. This unique data set has significant importance to NOAA researchers studying tropical cyclones.