![]() ![]() In 1969, NSSL obtained and upgraded a surplus 10-centimeter radar from the U.S. This ability to discern internal air circulation makes Doppler radar a powerful weather-monitoring tool. When they measured this shift in frequency, scientists could tell if particles were moving towards or away from the radar. ![]() A change in frequency occurred when a radar signal was reflected from a moving target, such as a cluster of raindrops – similar to the shift in frequency experienced with a passing sound (e.g., when a train blowing its whistle passes by). This new radar allowed scientists to measure motion inside storms for the very first time, providing clues into the development of severe weather. In 1964, scientists added a three-centimeter wavelength research Doppler radar to NSSL’s list of assets - a move that would revolutionize weather observation. NSSL engineers made it possible to “see” the strength of the returned energy by creating a contoured black and white display. The larger the particle, the more energy bounced back. When the beam hit particles the size of rain, snow, or hail, some of the energy was reflected back to the antenna. ![]() This radar worked by sending out short bursts of energy in a beam that came from a slowly rotating antenna. Initially, NSSL collected data on Oklahoma spring storms using the Weather Surveillance Radar-57 (WSR-57) weather radar. NOAA National Severe Storms LaboratoryĮstablished in 1964, NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), in Norman, Oklahoma, has led the way in investigating all aspects of severe weather and played an important role in the development of modern weather radar. The NOAA National Weather Service relies daily on radar to detect, locate, and measure precipitation inside clouds. Radar technology originally designed to detect and locate hostile aircraft in World War II served as the basis for the advanced weather radar systems that are saving lives today. ![]()
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