Stony Brook – Brookhaven Radar Observatory (SBRO)
Observatory overview
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The Stony Brook – Brookhaven Radar Observatory (SBRO) was established in 2017 by the radar science group at Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory for cloud and precipitation studies. SBRO operates several cm- and mm-wavelength radars. The flagship radar of the observatory is a 35-GHz (Ka-band, 8-mm) Scanning Polarimetric Radar (KASPR) operated at the Stony Brook site. SBRO also operate an X-band phased array radar (SKYLER-I) at the Stony Brook site.
In addition, SBRO operates a profiling 94-GHz (W-band, 3-mm) radar with a beamwidth of 0.3° in memory of Roger Lhermitte, the founding father of cloud millimeter radars. In addition, synergistic measurements from a long-range backscatter lidar and a two channel microwave radiometer are integrated with the mm-wavelength radar facility measurements, thus resulting in sophisticated, multi-sensor-based data products. Ancillary instruments including a surface disdrometer, a meteorological station, a sounding system and a fisheye camera complete the proposed community cloud and precipitation observatory. |
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Stony Brook Mobile Radar Truck
The Stony Brook radar truck (RAMS 550 with extended flatbed) features a second generation dual-polarization X-band phased-array radar (SKYLER-II). Similar to SKYLER-I, SKYLER-II is a dual-polarization, X-band, low-power, phased-array radar (in partnership with Raytheon). Additional information on SKYLER can be found here. The radar truck also mounts a disdrometer, a weather station, a fisheye camera, and a sounding system. The radar truck participated in several field campaigns including IMPACTS and ESCAPE, and
PERiLS and provided fruitful datasets.
PERiLS and provided fruitful datasets.
Brookhaven National Laboratory Doppler Lidar truck
In partnership with the Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing (CMAS), we operate a second mobile observatory suitable for collecting observations in urban and coastal areas. The Brookhaven National Laboratory Doppler Lidar truck features a scanning Doppler Lidar (Halo Photonics), a backscatter lidar, profiling 24-GHz radar (MRR-PRO), a disdrometer (Parsivel 2), a radiosonde system (GRAW), a met station and a fisheye camera. Read more …
The Halo Photonics Doppler lidar has the following features:
The Halo Photonics Doppler lidar has the following features:
- Long range (10-12 km)
- Fully scanning
- Extended velocity range
- All-sky scanner with wipe facility. Azimuth slip-ring giving full hemispherical coverage with 0.01° resolution in both axes.
- Active heat exchanger. Temperature stabilised environmental enclosure. External temperature range -20°C to +45°C (active cooling option)
- System provides range gated line-of-sight velocity versus time
- System provides range gated SNR and backscatter
- Data collection to 12km with 100% duty cycle
- Raw averaged data can be stored (un-range gated)
- Gate overlapped mode
- Minimum range: Typically < 60m
- Pulse rate = 10 kHz
- Temporal resolution selectable in from 0.1 – 30 seconds
- Velocity precision < 20 cm s-1 for SNR > -17 dB
- Bandwidth: ±19m/s or (optional) ± 38m/s.
- Real-time display of data and system health checks
- Software selectable range gate size, number of shots to average and number of gates to process per ray
- Both step-stare and continuous scanning modes are possible. A daily schedule, synchronised to GPS time can be defined where the scan mode and scan parameters are set for each element of the scan sequence
- UDP data broadcasting
- Integrated GPS
Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing (CMAS)
The Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing (CMAS) is a multi-disciplinary center that focuses on acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting measurements from networks of sensors in highly heterogeneous areas, including complex urban and coastal locations and renewable energy facilities.
Managing infrastructure and energy sources and sinks in these areas is one of the most important development challenges of the 21st century. A key component of this challenge is acquiring currently unavailable multi-parametric, multi-scale data. These new data sources will be used to evaluate and improve numerical models in order to increase predictive capabilities relevant to the multiscale interactions of these hotspots with local weather and the environment.
CMAS’s mission is to provide innovative sensing solutions and applied applications for observing and predicting weather and environment around energy hot spots. CMAS does this by bridging the gap between science and technology in observing and predicting energy demands, flows, and distributions using modern, distributed sensors, innovative analysis and synthesis, and high-resolution numerical tools.
CMAS’s mission is to provide innovative sensing solutions and applied applications for observing and predicting weather and environment around energy hot spots. CMAS does this by bridging the gap between science and technology in observing and predicting energy demands, flows, and distributions using modern, distributed sensors, innovative analysis and synthesis, and high-resolution numerical tools.