MRI Track 1: Acquisition of a Ka-band Polarization Radar for Atmospheric Process Studies

Information

• NSF Award
• 2320710

Owner

• UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE

• Award Id

  2320710

• Award Effective Date

  9/1/2023 - 2 years ago

• Award Expiration Date

  8/31/2026 - 10 months from now

• Award Amount

  $ 779,640.00

• Award Instrument

  Standard Grant

This Major Research Instrumentation award is for the acquisition of a profiling cloud radar. Cloud radars transmit shorter wavelengths than traditional weather radars and are more sensitive to small scatterers, like cloud droplets and even insects. The radar will be incorporated into the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s (UAH) Mobile Atmospheric Profiling Network (MAPNet) facility which is available for wide community usage. This radar will complement the existing MAPNet remote sensing instrumentation and allow users to address a variety of new science topics. The radar will be used for hands-on educational experiences for students and enhance outreach activities. <br/><br/>This award is for the acquisition of a Ka-band profiling radar (KaPR) that would be integrated into UAH’s MAPNet. MAPNet is part of the current AGS Community Instrument and Facility (CIF) cohort and is available for deployment by members of the scientific community supported by NSF. MAPNet currently lacks a cloud radar, which would provide important information on cloud depth/top, cloud water phase, refined estimates of cloud water content, precipitation characteristics, and hydrometeor type. The specific instrument to be acquired is the ProSensing dual antenna Quadratic Phase Coded, continuous wave radar. This new radar has improved signal to noise ratio, lower range sidelobes, and a much smaller minimum range. The research team has identified the following areas of study that could be enhanced by the use of KaPR: cool season stratocumulus clouds, convective system environments, cloud electrification, hurricane boundary layers, aerosol-cloud interactions, convective snow bands, mammatus clouds, and biological flyers. <br/><br/>This project is jointly funded by the Major Research Instrumentation program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Physical and Dynamic Meteorology program.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

• Program Officer

  Nicholas Andersonnanderso@nsf.gov7032924715

• Min Amd Letter Date

  8/29/2023 - 2 years ago

• Max Amd Letter Date

  8/29/2023 - 2 years ago

• ARRA Amount

• Name

  University of Alabama in Huntsville

• City

  HUNTSVILLE

• State

  AL

• Country

  United States

• Address

  301 SPARKMAN DR NW

• Postal Code

  358051911

• Phone Number

  2568242657

• First Name

  Ryan

• Last Name

  Wade

• Email Address

  ryan.wade@uah.edu

• Start Date

  8/29/2023 12:00:00 AM

• First Name

  Xiaomin

• Last Name

  Chen

• Email Address

  xc0011@uah.edu

• Start Date

  8/29/2023 12:00:00 AM

• First Name

  Kevin

• Last Name

  Knupp

• Email Address

  kevin@nsstc.uah.edu

• Start Date

  8/29/2023 12:00:00 AM

• First Name

  Lawrence

• Last Name

  Carey

• Email Address

  lawrence.carey@uah.edu

• Start Date

  8/29/2023 12:00:00 AM

• First Name

  Sean

• Last Name

  Freeman

• Email Address

  sean.freeman@uah.edu

• Start Date

  8/29/2023 12:00:00 AM

• Text

  Major Research Instrumentation

• Code

  1189

• Text

  Physical & Dynamic Meteorology

• Code

  1525

• Text

  EPSCoR Co-Funding

• Code

  9150

• Text

  MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION

• Code

  1189

• Text

  PHYSICAL & DYNAMIC METEOROLOGY

• Code

  1525

• Text

  INTERDISCIPLINARY PROPOSALS

• Code

  4444

• Text

  EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES

• Code

  9150