Prototype Metrac™ Ballon-Tracking System Yields Accurate, High-Resolution Winds in Minneapolis Field Test

Abstract

The METRAC? positioning system is a ground-based radio location system that makes use of the Doppler principle in order to track an inexpensive, expendable transmitter. A prototype system has recently been built and evaluated for the Environmental Protection Agency for possible use in the Regional Air Pollution Study Program. This paper presents a brief description of the METRAC system and some of the results of a field test of the prototype system conducted in Minneapolis. The field test consisted of a comparison of wind profiles derived from the METRAC system with wind profiles derived from simultaneous rawinsonde and theodolite tracking. The results of this test demonstrate the great accuracy and high-resolution of winds measured by the prototype system.