A Volume-Imaging Radar Wind Profiler for Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence Studies

This paper describes the turbulent eddy profiler (TEP), a volume-imaging, UHF radar wind profiler designed for clear-air measurements in the atmospheric boundary layer on scales comparable to grid cell sizes of large eddy simulation models. TEP employs a large array of antennas—each feeding an independent receiver—to simultaneously generate multiple beams within a 288 conical volume illuminated by the transmitter. Range gating provides 30-m spatial resolution in the vertical dimension. Each volume image is updated every 2–10 s, and long datasets can be gathered to study the evolution of turbulent structure over several hours. A summary of the principles of operation and the design of TEP is provided, including examples of clear-air reflectivity and velocity images.