A Simulation Framework to Support the Design and Evaluation of Adaptive Scanning for Phased-Array Weather Radars

Abstract

We propose a simulation framework that can be used to design and evaluate the performance of adaptive scanning algorithms on different phased-array weather radar designs. The simulator is proposed as tool to: (1) compare the performance of different adaptive scanning algorithms on the same weather event, (2) evaluate the performance of a given adaptive scanning algorithm on several weather events, and (3) evaluate the performance of a given adaptive scanning algorithm on a given weather event using different radar designs. We illustrate the capabilities of the proposed framework to design and evaluate the performance of adaptive algorithms aimed at reducing the update time using adaptive scanning. The example concept of operations is based on a fast low-fidelity surveillance scan and a high-fidelity adaptive scan. The flexibility of the proposed simulation framework is tested using two phased-array-radar designs and three complementary adaptive scanning algorithms: focused observations, beam clustering, and dwell tailoring. Based on a significant weather event observed by an operational NEXRAD radar, our experimental results consist of radar data that were simulated as if the same event had been observed by arbitrary combinations of radar systems and adaptive scanning configurations. Results show that simulated fields of radar data capture the main data-quality impacts from the use of adaptive scanning and can be used to obtain quantitative metrics and for qualitative comparison and evaluation by forecasters. That is, the proposed simulator could provide an effective interface with meteorologists and could support the development of concepts of operations based on adaptive scanning to meet the evolutionary observational needs of the US National Weather Service.