AN UNFOLDING ALGORITHM FOR PROFILER WINDS

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has completed the installation of a 30-site demonstration network of wind-profiling rada rs in the central United States. The network is being used to demonstr ate and assess the utility of wind profiler technology in a quasi-oper ational environment and to help define operational requirements for po ssible future national networks. This paper reviews the cause of veloc ity folding and presents the unfolding method recently implemented for the NOAA Wind Profiler Demonstration Network. The method uses a simpl e median check to dealias (unfold) radial velocities quickly and effec tively in real time. Case study examples and statistical evaluation of the method's performance are also presented.