STUDIES OF THE SUBSTRUCTURE OF SEVERE CONVECTIVE STORMS USING A MOBILE 3-MM-WAVELENGTH DOPPLER RADAR

An experiment whose objective was to determine the wind and reflectivi ty substructure of severe convective storms is detailed. A 3-mm-wavele ngth (95 GHz) pulsed Doppler radar was installed in a van and operated in the Southern Plains of the United States during May and early June of 1993 and 1994. Using a narrow-beam antenna with compute r-controll ed scanning and positioning the van several kilometers from targets in severe thunderstorms, the authors were able to achieve 30-m spatial r esolution and also obtain video documentation. A dual-polarization pul se-pair technique was used to realize a maximum unambiguous velocity o f +/-80 m s(-1). Analyses of data collected in a mesocyclone near the intersection of two squall lines, in a low-precipitation storm, and in a hook echo in a supercell are discussed, A strategy to achieve 10-m spatial resolution and obtain analyses of the internal structure of to rnadoes is proposed.