The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): An overview of its development and science

• Main Author: Lester, Mark
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2013
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Space; Advances in Polar Science; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2474/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2474/1/A20130101.pdf

The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is a network of HF coherent scatter radars. At the end of 2012 there were 31 operational radars of which 22 were in the northern hemisphere and 9 in the southern hemisphere. The radars are operated by 17 different research groups from 11 different countries. In this paper we give an overview of the network and its development over the last twenty years, concentrating on the nature of the collaboration. We describe the data parameters that are available, radar operational modes, and the structure of the SuperDARN collaboration. A brief, “light touch” review is also given of the science achieved with the network. Finally we give a brief look to future science directions.