CURIE: a low power X-band, low atmospheric Boundary Layer Doppler radar

Abstract

A new X-band Doppler miniradar, the CURIE radar (Canopy Urban Research on Interactions and Exchanges), mainly adapted to low Atmospheric Boundary Layer ABL sounding has been developed at LATMOS (Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales) formerly CETP (Centre d'étude des Environnements Terrestre et Planétaires). After a brief description of the measurement conditions in a turbulent atmosphere, the main characteristics of the new sensor are presented. As an example, we compare CURIE vertical velocity fluctuations with UHF observations to show the vertical velocity measurement validity. As a prospective area of application in clear air, we focus on a first observation of vertical velocity variance which is supposed to be related to entrainment across the inversion layer. As our objective is to study low boundary layers during different atmospheric conditions and since the radar works in the presence of precipitation (as all X-band radar do), we also show vertical rain soundings in the lower part of the ABL and illustrate our findings with results demonstrating comparable reflectivity and precipitation rates as estimated with a disdrometer and with a rain gauge.