Key features

• Two mobile Ka-band Doppler radars: fully coherent, pulse compression systems using traveling wave tube technology
• Four-dimensional mapping of a wide spectrum of atmospheric phenomena at very fine spatial resolution, for both atmospheric science and engineering
• Higher resolution than comparable equipment, seeing through the heaviest rain without losing much signal
• Learn more about the specifications

History

In the spring of 2006 a proposal for two Ka-band Doppler radar trucks was awarded to Texas Tech University. The first truck was completed in June 2009 and the second in the spring of 2010. Both were designed to collect high-resolution data across a range of atmospheric phenomena, to benefit the atmospheric science and wind engineering research communities alike.

In the field

The white dome on the bed of each truck houses the radar and protects it from inclement weather. Called a Ra-DOME, it looks very much like a large soccer ball.

Studying severe weather and tornadoes can be tricky, as these events are often small enough to fit between permanent weather observation stations and slip through the net. StickNets and Ka-band radar trucks can zoom in on the most important parts of a storm while staying a safe distance from the dangerous weather.

By filling in those data gaps, the radar trucks and the StickNet platforms together give a far more detailed picture of how a storm evolves over time. That can lead to more accurate forecasts, which may mean reduced wind damage and lower loss of life.

Radar rates