Frequency Domain Interferometry Using the 1290-MHz Søndre Strømfjord Radar: First Results

Abstract

First results from the implementation of frequency domain interferometry (FDI) using an L-band frequency of 1290 MHz are presented. To our knowledge, FDI has not previously been applied to such high-frequency measurements. The experiment was conducted in September 1991 using the radar facility located in S?ndre Str?mfjord, Greenland. The S?ndre Str?mfjord radar is typically used for incoherent scatter measurements in the ionosphere, but these are some of the first lower-atmospheric results, namely, 8.6?13.4 km, since the new data-taking system was implemented. At the time of the experiment, the steerability of the 32-m dish antenna was hampered because of a faulty elevation-scanning bearing. Therefore, the measurements were taken from an approximately vertical direction for the duration of the experiment. The spectra and the correlation functions obtained from the FDI data are compared to previous results at other frequencies. The data show the S?ndre Str?mfjord radar is providing reliable wind measurements in the lower atmosphere and that FDI can be implemented at L band.