OPERATING DECAMETER RASS NEAR NISHNY-NOVGOROD AND PERSPECTIVES FOR FAR RADIOACOUSTIC SOUNDING USING THE SURA HF-RADAR

An investigation of a tropospheric radio-acoustic sounding system (RAS S) on the basis of the powerful HF-heating facility, 'SURA' is propose d. The specifications of a RASS for regular temperature profile measur ements up to a height of 15 km, where the main processes of energy exc hange take place, are discussed. Temperature profile data measured wit h an existing low-frequency prototype are presented. They are for a he ight of up to 6 km and the time resolution is about a few minutes. Dif ferences between the RASS and sonde profiles typically do not exceed 1 K. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.