Statistical analysis of ground clutter and point targets impact on accuracy of weather echoes parameters estimation

Under real-world operational conditions, the meteorological objects (MO) echoes received by weather radar could be distorted by ground objects returns or point aerial targets echoes which affects a quality of weather spectral moments estimation. This paper analyzes an impact of such a clutter on an accuracy of weather parameters measurement. We quantitatively evaluate how the spectral moment estimation errors depend on intensity of interfering reflections; distinctions between clutter and weather echoes in terms of radial velocity and width and shape of respective Doppler velocity spectra; and a size of training sample being used for MO parameters measurement. The practical recommendations on construction and parameters of a system intended for weather radar protection from different-nature interfering reflections are derived. The universal lattice filters including adaptive ones are demonstrated to be an effective structural and algorithmic basis for such system implementation.