CLEX-9 WCR Data Status Content: WCR configuration Calibration Notes Quick Looks Terminology General Notes Flights Information WCR configuration: WCR was installed on UWKA with a single antenna configuration (installation A, modes 1 and 2, http://www-das.uwyo.edu/wcr/mmradar.modes.html, H and V linearly polarized 250 ns pulses) using UWKA radar mirror wing to direct the radar beam side or up. The radar mirror events are recorded in the King Air data files. Mirror switching times are exctracted in ascii files and placed under their corresponding flight day directories (file names: KAyyyymmdd.hhmmss_hhmmss.mirror) Calibration notes: Calibration constants (250 ns pulse, 5 MHz IF filter, dynamic range > 70 dB): HHcal = 49.3, precision 1.0 dB, absolute accuracy 2.0 dB VVcal = 47.8, precision 1.0 dB, absolute accuracy 2.0 dB Assume VHcal=VVcal and HVcal=HHcal (there is no polarimetric calibration) The precision numbers are associated with the accuracy of the calibration constants over the radar full dynamic range. The absolute accuracy is an estimate only. V-ch was calibrated using a corner reflector (CR). H-channel was calibrated with a CR and cross-referenced with V-ch distributed target data and no ZDR. There is about 1 dB uncertainty in the cross-reference calibration The isolation between the channels for distributed targets: HViso = VHiso is better than 16 dB The transmitter drifts no more than 0.5 dB during any one flight. The receivers' gain drift is generally less than 1 dB. Quick Looks: Quick look images of co-pol reflectivity for all the flights are stored in their corresponding directories(mmmDD) as pdf files. Terminology: Terminology used to acknowledge data quality for each data file reported under Flights indormation. 1) SPIKES are defined as short lasting (less than a few secs), large excursions in positive or negative direction (higher than 2-3 dB). 2) ELEVATED NOISE (including short spikes) is defined as occasional change in the mean noise that exceeds 2-3 dB and lasts from fraction of a second to more than a minute. It is usually associated with ground hits and/or multi-trip echoes. It is observed for side looking mode only. 3) NOISE JUMPS/SPIKES (up to 10-20 sec). Probably some sort of short interference not necessarily in both channels and in some cases associated with the mirror position change or A/C radio communications at freqs close to 120MHz 3) NOISE DRIFT is up to 2dB slow drift in the noise channel; likely due to drift in the receivers gain. Usually it does not exceed 0.5 dB. 4) BAD DATA refer to corrupted data or improbable data behavior. 5) DATA SHIFT means that all data channels are shifted one range gate to the right for one or both of the DSPs. 6) DATA GAPS: gaps between profiles exceeding several times the average time interval between profiles 7) TIME STAMP ERROR: known fixed shift in the time stamps. 8) TIME JUMPS: sync problem in the time which results in time stamps jumps of up to 2 sec. Noticed only in the beginning of the first file for less than 10-15 min. 9) DATA DISCONTINUITY: unexpected jumps in reflectivity occurring thru all range gates from one profile to another. General Notes: * WCR data acquisition system (DAQ) records time stamps from the vxi IRIG card which is slaved to the master KingAir data system IRIG card. The recorded time stamps are GPS time (currently 13 sec ahead of UTC). WCR time stamps have unresolved time shift from the master (KA) time. This shift is not constant from flight to flight and appears to be between 0. and -0.4 sec (WCR time is ahead of KA time). * The zero range gate, when at 75 m, is contaminated with the transmitter pulse leakage for intensities below -45 dBm (~ 4 dBZ). On the other hand very stong returns at this range are slightly undervalued (1 dB or less) due to receiver protection switches still residually closed. It appears that the return at 105 m (1st range gate) is clean most of the time. * Mean, stdev noise levels and minimum detectable signal: H-channel: -65.5 +- 1 dBm, -78.0 +- 1.5 dBm, -29 dBZ @ 1km V-channel: -66.0 +- 1 dBm, -79.0 +- 1.5 dBm, -31 dBZ @ 1km It appears that for side looking, mean noise levels of both channels are up to 0.5 dB higher than for up looking. * When in side looking mode the noise channels, as well as some of the data range gates, are occasionally contaminated from second trip echoes, mostly from ground. Caution should be exercised when analyzing side looks. * Average DSP jumps (data jumps between two consecutive profiles due to data acquisition DSP) are near zero but individual jumps are as high as 1-2 dB and thus averaging at least two profiles is highly recommended to reduce calibration errors. * WCR raw data is available on Exabyte tapes. Flights Information: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flight date/ File(size name) WCR mode Status ************************************************************************** oct12: (2.5 hours, Hosher,Carey,Gordon) Total data: 299 MB 299M Wpp01-10-12-12-57-51, sppH, 100rg, time stamp error(fixed), few noise jumps ************************************************************************** oct13: (4.0 hours, Hosher,Carey,Haimov) Total data: 619 MB 49M Wpp01-10-13-12-18-46, sppV, 100rg, 76M Wpp01-10-13-12-42-28, sppH, 100rg, occasional elevated noise (side looks) 259M Wpp01-10-13-13-06-01, sppH, 100rg, few noise jumps, some elevated noise 37M Wpp01-10-13-14-22-01, sppH, 100rg 117M Wpp01-10-13-14-33-01, sppH, 100rg 79M Wpp01-10-13-15-09-19, sppH, 100rg, some elevated noise ************************************************************************** oct14: (6.8 hours, Hosher,Carey,Oolman) Total data: 1.2 GB 102M Wpp01-10-14-12-08-01, sppH, 100rg, few noise jumps 278M Wpp01-10-14-12-51-44, sppH, 150rg 506M Wpp01-10-14-13-39-20, sppH, 100rg 315M Wpp01-10-14-17-09-22, sppH, 100rg, many data gaps first 14 min. (max gap 3s)- reason: tape backup, few noise jumps (side look) ************************************************************************** oct19: (5.4 hours, Hosher,Carey,Haimov) Total data: 423 MB 28M Wpp01-10-19-10-32-09, ppm4, 100rg, ground, noise jumps(side looks) 154M Wpp01-10-19-11-02-00, sppH, 100rg, elevated noise 74M Wpp01-10-19-12-31-25, sppH, 150rg 33M Wpp01-10-19-12-45-02, sppH, 100rg 42M Wpp01-10-19-12-54-55, sppH, 100rg, elevated noise 91M Wpp01-10-19-13-08-37, sppH, 100rg, elevated noise ************************************************************************** oct22: (4.0 hours, Hosher,Carey,Oolman) Total data: 809 MB 1.9M Wpp01-10-22-12-44-52, sppH, 100rg 97M Wpp01-10-22-13-13-43, sppH, 100rg 618M Wpp01-10-22-13-51-35, sppH, 150rg, up to 2dB noise drift 90M Wpp01-10-22-15-36-50, sppH, 100rg, elevated noise ************************************************************************** oct31: (Part 1, 1.5 hours, Hosher,Kankiewicz,Haimov) Total data: 282 MB 21M Wpp01-10-31-14-24-56, sppH, 100rg 36M Wpp01-10-31-14-39-07, sppH, 100rg, elevated noise 186M Wpp01-10-31-14-55-25, sppH, 150rg 39M Wpp01-10-31-15-27-02, sppH, 150rg, elevated noise (Part 2, 4.2 hours, Hosher,Kankiewicz,Haimov) Total data: 1.1 GB 13M Wpp01-10-31-16-16-07, ppm4, 100rg, ground, noise spikes 59M Wpp01-10-31-16-36-17, ppm4, 100rg, elevated noise 84M Wpp01-10-31-16-51-25, sppH, 150rg, up to 1dB noise drift 31M Wpp01-10-31-17-06-50, sppV, 150rg 405M Wpp01-10-31-17-12-20, sppV, 150rg, up to 1dB noise drift 311M Wpp01-10-31-18-26-08, sppV, 150rg, noise spikes,elevated noise, up to 1 dB noise drift 213M Wpp01-10-31-19-19-26, sppV, 200rg ************************************************************************** nov01: ( 2.6 hours, Hosher,Kankiewicz,Gordon) Total data: 658 MB 16M Nov 1 07:52 Wpp01-11-01-14-50-06, ppm4, 100rg, noise spikes 641M Nov 1 09:42 Wpp01-11-01-14-53-13, sppH, 150rg, up 1dB noise drift ************************************************************************** nov02: ( 5.8 hours, Hosher,Carey,Gordon) Total data: 1.5 GB 41M Wpp01-11-02-11-29-02, ppm4, 100rg, ground, noise/data spikes 1.4G Wpp01-11-02-12-14-09, sppH, 150rg, elevated noise,data/noise spikes **************************************************************************