Publications

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory provides support to the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) Program Office in the performance analysis of deployed TDWR systems, and resulting recommendations for systems enhancements. This report documents initial performance of the TDWR products at Washington National Airport (DCA), Memphis International Airport (MEM) and Orlando International Airport (MCO). This performance depends, in turn, on the site optimization performed for the specific radars. Therefore, an overview of site optimization process, using DCA as a concrete example, is included. After the sites were optimized, base data (Doppler velocity and reflectivity) and product data (algorithm detections) were collected to assess the quality of the base data and the performance of the microburst and gust front detection algorithms. It is assumed that the reader of this report has an extensive knowledge of the TDWR system. (Not Complete)

Under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sponsorship, Lincoln Laboratory conducted an aviation weather hazard measurement and operational demonstration program during the summer of 1991 near the Orlando International Airport. Three Doppler radars were sited in a triangle around the airport, allowing triple Doppler coverage of thunderstorms and microbursts occurring there. This report contains a summary of all of the microburst producing thunderstorms that occurred within the triple Doppler region that were scanned in a coordinated fashion, during the months of June, July, August, and September, 1991. Statistics on the microburst events are presented to give an overall picture of the available data for use in analysis. The bulk of the report consists of detailed information about each triple Doppler day, including the time, location, and strength of microbursts within the triple Doppler period as well as the availability of data from supporting sensors including the ASR-9-WSR Doppler radar, radiosondes, LLWAS, Mesonet, AWOS, instrumented aircraft, ACARS, interferometer, and corona points.