Performance of the first European 482 MHz wind profiler radar with RASS under operational conditions

The first 482 MHz Wind Profiler Radar (WPR) in Europe completed with a Radi o-Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) has been operated at the Meteorological O bservatory Lindenberg since July 3rd, 1996 after a comprehensive study rega rding the investigation of frequency compatibility between the WPR and the television channel 22 (478-486 MHz). The WPR can operate with different height and time resolutions (e.g. 250 m in the so-called Low Mode or 500 m in the High Mode). A height range of up to approximately 16 km can be realized in the High Mode. The installed WPR/ RASS combination allows also the measurement of profiles of the virtual tem perature with the Low Mode resolution in the height range from 500 m up to approximately 4000 m. The main objective of this contribution is the investigation of the accurac y and the availability of this new remote sensing system. First results of the accuracy can be given on the base of about 1000 intercomparisons betwee n WPR/RASS and Rawinsonde data. The bias of the horizontal wind velocities is less than 0.4 m/s in the Low Mode and 0.7 m/s in the High Mode (from 3 t o 10 km) and therefore smaller than the average accuracy of both systems. T he bias of the temperature measurements is less than 1 K and can be improve d by some corrections in future. A first statistics of the data availability can be shown based on nearly 60 00 profiles of wind and temperature. The 80 % availability of the WPR/RASS was determined with 12.8 km for wind and 2.3 km for temperature measurement s. The new possibilities of investigating the troposphere as well as the lowes t part of the stratosphere are presented by measurement examples from Febru ary and March 1997.