The Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler - a dual frequency dual polarized conically scanning airborne profiling radar

The University of Massachusetts (UMass), with support from ONR, NOAA and NASA, has developed a novel radar system called the Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP). IWRAP is a dual frequency (C/Ku band) dual polarized airborne radar that profiles the volume and surface backscatter and Doppler simultaneously at 30, 35, 40 and 50 degrees incidence, while conically scanning at 30 to 90 rpm. Its range resolution can be set at 15, 30, 60 or 120 m. From these measurements the ocean surface wind field, 3-D boundary layer winds within rain bands can be mapped. IWRAP was flown during the 2002 NOAA/NESDIS/ORA Hurricane Ocean Winds Experiment, which was conducted in conjunction with the 2002 NOAA/AOML/HRD Hurricane Field Program. This paper presents the system design, radar processing algorithms and initial results from the 2002 hurricane flights.