DEVELOPMENT OF A MICROWAVE SCINTILLATION WIND SENSOR

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AN ANEMOMETER TO MEASURE THE MEAN WIND SPEED BETWEEN TWO POINTS ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH SEPARATED BY TENS OF METERS TO TENS OF KILOMETERS. THE TERRAIN BETWEEN THE POINTS NEED NOT BE ACCESSIBLE AND MAY BE WATER, LAND, OR BOTH. THE SYSTEM USESTHE MICROWAVE SCINTILLATION TECHNIQUE, WHICH MAY ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MEASURE THE CONCENTRATION OF SOME ATMOSPHERIC CONSTITUENTS AND THEREFORE TO MEASURE THEIR TRANSPORT. THIS EFFORT IS BEING AIDED BY RECENT EXPERIENCE DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING AN ACOUSTIC SCINTILLATION SYSTEMFOR MEASURING THE EXHAUST SPEED OF A HYDROTHERMAL VENT ON THE JUAN DE FUCA RIDGE. TECHNIQUES TO IMPLEMENT MICROWAVE SCINTILLATION ARE BEING STUDIED, WHICH INCLUDE ALGORITHMS FOR DOING THE CALCULATIONS, HARDWARE TO TRANSMIT AND RECEIVETHE MICROWAVES, AND OPERATING FREQUENCY CONSIDERATIONS. A PLAN TO DEVELOP AND TEST A WIND SCINTILLATION SYSTEM IS BEING PREPARED.