Global Satellite observations of winds, rain and clouds
Fast Track – 7th Call (Completed 2016)
Lead Organisation: University of Reading partnered by University of Leicester
Building on recent ESA and CEOI studies, we propose a conically scanning spaceborne broad-swath Dopplerised 94GHz radar to provide global measurements of winds, rainfall and cloud ice water content using the radar returns from cloud and precipitation particles. The observations will have 50km horizontal and 1km vertical resolution with several visits every day at European latitudes.
High frequency Doppler Radars #2 (HIDRA 2)
Pathfinder – 7th Call (Completed 2018)
Lead Organisation: STFC RAL Space partnered by University of Leicester
The present work aims at further developing a mission concept based on a dual frequency, 35 and 240 GHz, Doppler radar with radiometric mode for the detection and quantification of mid and high latitude precipitation. STFC-RAL will focus at developing a prototype of 240 GHz frequency multiplier with the challenging high output power level required to drive the radar transmitter’s output stage. The University of Leicester will analyse the potential of the system to improve further the retrievals of microphysical properties in precipitating snow and also in stratocumulus, cirrus and mid-level ice clouds.
WIVERN: An EE9 project to observe Global Winds
Fast Track – 9th Call (Completed 2018)
Lead Organisation: University of Reading partnered by University of Leicester and STFC
The WIVERN mission employs a space-borne dual-polarisation Doppler conically scanning 94 GHz radar measuring in-cloud line-of-sight winds over an 800 km wide ground-track using the returns from cloud and precipitation targets, satisfying the WMO requirements for Numerical Weather Prediction models of horizontal winds with 2 ms-1 accuracy, ~50 km horizontal and 1 km vertical resolution, and daily sampling poleward of 50°.