KAZR

The Ka-Band ARM Zenith Radar (KAZR) remotely probes the extent and composition of clouds at millimeter wavelengths. The KAZR is a zenith-pointing Doppler radar that operates at a frequency of approximately 35 GHz. The main purpose of this radar is to determine the first three Doppler moments (reflectivity, vertical velocity, and spectral width) at a range resolution of approximately 30 meters from near-ground to nearly 20 kilometers in altitude.

The KAZR replaces the millimeter-wavelength cloud radar (MMCR) and uses a new digital receiver that provides higher spatial and temporal resolution than the MMCR. In addition, spectral artifacts in the data are significantly reduced in the KAZR, allowing researchers to study cloud dynamics much more closely than with the MMCR.

KAZR data are also available as b1-level products for ARM’s three fixed-location atmospheric observatories and for several mobile deployments. Building on the original operational a1-level data from these sites, the b1-level products feature improved data quality resulting from extensive analyses and corrections. The data are cross-calibrated to a common point, datastreams are corrected for any operational issues that occurred, and data quality/classification masks and basic derived products are incorporated. For more information, read the published b1-level processing reports.

• Radar Doppler
• Radar polarization
• Radar reflectivity