Weather Documentation at Kwajalein Missile Range

A WB-57F weather reconnaissance aircraft and a high-power radar (ALCOR) were used to document weather at Kwajalein Missile Range. Simultaneous measurements of cloud-reflectivity (Z) by radar, and water content (M) by aircraft were used to interpret measurements of reflectivity along the reentry traj...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Barnes,Arnold A. , Jr, Nelson,Loren D, Metcalf,James I
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION
ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDING
CLOUDS
CORRELATION TECHNIQUES
DATA PROCESSING
GUIDED MISSILE RANGES
ICE
KWAJALEIN ATOLL
Kwajalein Missile Range
METEOROLOGICAL RADAR
Meteorology
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
REENTRY VEHICLES
REFLECTIVITY
WATER
WEATHER
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Summary:A WB-57F weather reconnaissance aircraft and a high-power radar (ALCOR) were used to document weather at Kwajalein Missile Range. Simultaneous measurements of cloud-reflectivity (Z) by radar, and water content (M) by aircraft were used to interpret measurements of reflectivity along the reentry trajectories close to the time of reentry. Techniques of obtaining and processing the data are described, and the results of the analysis for one mission are presented. These techniques permit the specification of the water content along the trajectory within a factor of 2, or plus or minus 3 dB. Observations from this case and from other days show the variability of the Z-M relation with altitude and cloud type. (Author) Presented at the Conference on Aerospace and Aeronautical Meterorology of the American Meteorological Society (6th) and the American Institute for the Aeronautics and Astronautics, El Paso, Tex., 12-15 Nov 74.