Hot Items 2004The Weather Channel crew visits NSSL
A television production crew working on a Forecast Earth program called "Early Warning" for The Weather Channel visited the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman recently. They interviewed Doug Forsyth, Executive Director for Facilities and Strategic Plans and Chief of the Radar Research and Development Division, about current radar research being conducted at NSSL. He discussed dual polarized radar and phased array radar. The crew previously interviewed NSSL Director James Kimpel during the American Meteorological Society meeting in mid-January.
NSSL continues to be a pioneer in the development of weather radar. The lab is presently researching the use of dual polarization radar to improve precipitation measurements and hail identification. This upgrade to the current NEXRAD Doppler radar hardware provides more information about precipitation in clouds to better distinguish between rain, ice, hail and mixtures. Such information will help forecasters provide better warnings for flash floods, the number one severe weather threat to human life. The technology is expected to be added to the current system in three to five years.
NSSL researchers are also working on a new system that may be used in 10 to 15 years, adapting state-of-the-art phased array radar technology currently deployed on Navy ships for use in spotting severe weather. Phased array radar reduces the scan or data collection time from five or six minutes to less than one minute, potentially extending the average lead time for tornado warnings beyond the current average of 11 minutes. When combined with other technology being developed at NSSL, warning lead times may be extended even farther. In addition, NSSL will collaborate with the Federal Aviation Administration in using the PAR for both weather and aircraft tracking applications.
Forsyth provided a tour of the newly constructed phased array radar facility located at NSSL, built through the support of a unique federal, private, state and academic partnership. Participants in the development of the phased array radar technology are NOAA, U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin, University of Oklahoma, Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and Basic Commerce and Industries.
The focus of The Weather Channel program is new weather forecasting technology.
1/27/2004