A STATISTICAL AVERAGING METHOD FOR WIND PROFILER DOPPLER SPECTRA

A new method is presented for Doppler spectral averaging that more rel iably identifies the profiler radar return from clear air in the prese nce of contamination-for example, from migrating bird echoes. These ve ry sensitive radars profile the wind in the atmosphere by detecting th e very weak backscatter from index-of-refraction fluctuations caused b y turbulence in clear air. But these radars also ''see'' the much stro nger echoes from ground clutter (from trees and vehicles) and from fli ers (aircraft, insects, and birds). Clutter and fliers have radar sign atures in general that are different from atmospheric signatures. The new method uses this difference to extract atmospheric signals from co ntaminated Doppler spectra.