Spaced Antenna Scattering Scale and Orientation Measurements of the Upper Troposphere on the MU Radar

Abstract

The results of an experiment on the MU radar to observe VHF radio wave scattering structures around the jet stream and frontal disturbances in the upper troposphere and tropopause region are reported. The experiment used spaced antenna techniques which can provide high resolution measurements of the wind vector and of the spatial scales and orientation of the structures which are generally associated with turbulence. The main spatial scale parameter examined here was the angular distribution or aspect sensitivity of the scatter. The orientation of the scattering was found in both the vertical and horizontal planes. Rapid variations of scattering orientation in the vertical plane were observed which can be expected to influence high time resolution velocity measurements, particularly vertical velocity. In the horizontal plane, the orientation of scattering structures showed some relationship to wind minima and shear features.