VOCAR: an experiment in variability of coastal atmospheric refractivity

A previous radio-meteorological experiment conducted along the coast of southern California showed a high correlation between UHF signals and the base of the elevated temperature inversion. A reanalysis of this experimental data with a recently developed hybrid propagation model confirmed this correlation and a method to remotely sense the refractive structure was proposed. An experiment called Variability of Coastal Atmospheric Refractivity (VOCAR) was designed under a larger program called Coastal Variability Analysis, Measurements, and Prediction. VOCAR is a multi-year experimental effort to investigate the variability of atmospheric refractivity with emphasis on the coastal zone. The experiment is being conducted by the Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center RDT & E Division jointly with the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Point Mugu, CA, the Naval Research Laboratory (Washington, DC and Monterey), and the Naval Postgraduate School. In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Environmental Technology Laboratory, Penn State University Applied Research Laboratory, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory participated in the intensive measurement phase of VOCAR. The objectives of VOCAR are to provide an assessment capability for horizontally varying refractivity conditions in a coastal environment and to develop a remote sensing capability. The propagation measurements being made during VOCAR consist of monitoring signal strength variations of VHF/UHF transmitters in the southern California coastal region. Corresponding meteorological measurements are made during routine, special, and intensive observation periods. Measurements began in May 1993 and will be conducted periodically through 1994