Snodar:2009 performance at Dome A, Antarctica
Snodar is a high resolution acoustic radar designed specifically for profiling the atmospheric boundary layer on the high Antarctic plateau. Snodar profiles the atmospheric temperature structure function constant to a vertical resolution of 1 m or better with a minimum sample height of 8 m. The maxi...
Published in: | SPIE Proceedings, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes III |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , |
Format: | Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
SPIE
2010
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/77755094-309a-4b3e-9884-b6341dffc8f9 https://doi.org/10.1117/12.856659 https://research-management.mq.edu.au/ws/files/62430891/Publisher%20version%20(open%20access).pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77958115248&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
Summary: | Snodar is a high resolution acoustic radar designed specifically for profiling the atmospheric boundary layer on the high Antarctic plateau. Snodar profiles the atmospheric temperature structure function constant to a vertical resolution of 1 m or better with a minimum sample height of 8 m. The maximum sampling height is dependent on atmospheric conditions but is typically at least 100 m. Snodar uses a unique in-situ intensity calibration method that allows the instrument to be autonomously recalibrated throughout the year. The instrument is initially intensity calibrated against tower-mounted differential microthermal sensors. A calibration sphere is located in the near-field of the antenna to provide a fixed echo of known intensity, allowing the instrument to be continuously re-calibrated once deployed. This allows snow accumulation, transducer wear and system changes due to temperature to be monitored. Year-round power and communications are provided by the PLATO facility. This allows processed data to be downloaded every 6 hours while raw data is stored on-site for collection the following summer. Over 4 million processed samples have been downloaded through PLATO to date. We present signal attenuation from accumulation of snow and ice on Snodar's parabolic reflector during the 2009 at Dome A. |
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