Detection of Severe Weather by FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Radars.

A need exists to improve the radar weather display available to air traffic controllers. In support of this objective, theoretical and corresponding empirical investigations were performed to validate the feasibility of using FAA radars both terminal and enroute as the sensors to provide the improved input for the weather displays. The theoretical investigation consisted of a computer simulation in which empirical weather data and the parameters of the FAA and NWS radars were used as inputs. By varying the position in range and height of reflectivity profiles, the amount of reflectivity that should be received by the various radars was computed and used to determine values of reflectivity for comparison purposes. The empirical program consisted of measurements by FAA and NWS radars of the power received from the same storms. This information was also converted into reflectivity values for comparison purposes.