Observations of Cloud Properties Using the Developed Millimeter-Wave FM-CW Radar at 95 GHz

• Main Authors: TAKANO, Toshiaki, AKITA, Ken-ichi, KUBO, Hiroshi, KAWAMURA, Youhei, KUMAGAI, Hiroshi, TAKAMURA, Tamio, NAKANISHI, Yuji, NAKAJIMA, Teruyuki, 鷹野, 敏明, 秋田, 健一, 久保, 博, 河村, 洋平, 熊谷, 博, 高村, 民雄, 中西, 裕治, 中島, 映至
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Chiba University. Center for Environmental Remote Sensing 2005
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean
• Online Access: https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/104190/; https://opac.ll.chiba-u.jp/da/curator/104190/BA71319447-10-P160.pdf

[ABSTRACT] We developed a low-power and high-sensitivity cloud profiling radar transmitting frequency modulated continuous wave (FM-CW) at 95 GHz for ground-based observations. Millimeter wave at 95 GHz is used to realize much higher sensitivity than lower frequencies to small cloud particles. An FM-CW type radar realizes similar sensitivity with much smaller output power to a pulse type radar. Two 1m-diameter parabolic antennas separated by 1.4m each other are used for transmitting and receiving the wave. The direction of the antennas is fixed at the zenith. The radar is designed to observe clouds between 0.3 and 20 km in height with a resolution of 15 m. Using the facility, test observations have been done. Results of observations show that the system can observe clouds of -30dBZ at the distance around 5km, which is sensitive enough to observe various kinds of clouds. Using the developed millimeter-wave FM-CW radar at 95 GHz, we observed clouds in a campaign observation in Amami Island in March 2003, and on a sail on Mirai, a Japanese scientific research vessel, in September 2004 in the Arctic Ocean. The radar provided good and sensitive data in these long-term observations.