• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.25 no.9
• /
• pp.1241-1251
• /
• 2016

A minimum threshold for the signal to noise ratio ($SNR_{min}$) has to be set in the data processing system of wind profiler radar (WPR). The data collection rate and the accuracy of the WPR wind vector depend on the $SNR_{min}$. The WPR at Uljin is operated with an $SNR_{min}$ of 1 dB which is a relatively large threshold. We found that the accuracy and the continuity of the WPR wind vector with height were directly related to the variability of the SNR and vertical gradient of the squared refractive index. We investigated a quantitative method for determining a new $SNR_{min}$ for the WPR at Uljin and it was evaluated with radiosonde data. The accuracy and continuity of the wind vector from an SNR of less than 1 dB, began to decrease at an altitude of 3.5 km. Most of the SNR values were less than -3.5 dB in altitudes higher than 3.5 km. We retrieved high-accuracy wind vectors at altitudes over 3 km where measurements were deficient with an $SNR_{min}$ of 1 dB.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2001

The enhancement of the refractive index structure parameter $C_n^2$ often occurs where vertical gradients of virtual potential temperature ${\theta}_v$ and mixing ratio q have their maximum values. The $C_n^2$ can be a very useful parameter for estimating the convective boundary layer(CBL) height. The behavior of $C_n^2$ peaks, often used to locate the height of mixed layer, was investigated in the present study. In addition, a new method to determine the CBL height objectively using both $C_n^2$ and vertical air velocity variance ${\sigma}_w$ data of UHF radar was also suggested. The present analysis showed that the $C_n^2$ peaks in the backscatter intensity profiles often occurred not only at the top of the CBL but also at the top of a residual layer or at a cloud layer. The $C_n^2$ peaks corresponding to the CBL heights were slightly lower than the CBL heights derived from rawinsonde sounding data when vertical mixing owing to weak solar heating was not significant and the height of strong vertical ${\theta}_v$ gradients were not consistent with that of strong vertical q gradients. However, the $C_n^2$ peaks corresponding to the CBL heights were in good agreement with the rawinsonde-estimated CBL hegiths when vertical mixing owing to solar heating was significant and the vertical gradient of both ${\theta}_v$ and q in the entrainment zone was very strong. The maximum backscatter intensity method, which determines the height of $C_n^2$ peak as the CBL height, correctly estimated the CBL height when the $C_n^2$ profile had single peak, but this method erroneously estimated the CBL height when there was a residual layer or a cloud layer over the top of the CBL. The new method distinguished when there the CBL height from the peak due a cloud layer or a residual layer using both $C_n^2$ and ${\sigma}_w$ data, and correctly estimated the CBL height. As for estimation of diurnal variation of the CBL height, the new method backscatter intensity method even if the vertical profile of backscatter intensity had two peaks from the CBL height and a residual layer or a cloud layer.