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Radar Profiler

Virginia DEQ installed a 915 megahertz LAP®-3000 lower atmospheric profiling radar and radio acoustic sounding systems (RASS) behind the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia. The profiler and RASS provide vertical wind speed and direction profiles and vertical virtual temperature profiles, respectively, up to several kilometers above the ground. Radar Profiler located at the Science Museum Vertical wind and virtual temperature profiles provide important data to help determine atmospheric conditions and air flow patterns. These patterns can be compared with surface pollutant concentrations to help determine when unhealthy ozone readings are likely. They may also be used to determine potential source regions of ozone via pollutant transport.

The wind profiler transmits a pulse of electromagnetic energy in a specific direction. When the pulse "hits" a target, electromagnetic energy is scattered. Some of the scattered energy (backscatter) returns to the radar which can then compute the distance to the target from the time it took to transmit the pulse and the time it took to receive a portion of it back. The profiler is able to show wind data at various heights in the atmosphere at the same time.

The virtual temperature profiler uses an acoustic wave directed vertically. It receives and processes the resulting backscatter and measures the speed of propagation. Virtual temperature can be computed because the speed of sound is related to air temperature. Virtual temperature is a temperature measurement that takes into account moisture in the air. It is the temperature that dry air would have if its pressure and specific volume were equal to those of a given sample of moist air. Virtual temperature is roughly one-half to two degrees Celsius warmer than the actual temperature.

The Richmond profiler is currently down for repairs.

The wind and temperature profiles for other profilers can be obtained on the web at both http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/profiler.jsp and http://www.madis-fsl.org/cap.

LAPis a registered trademark of Radian International LLC.

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