Turbulence due to vertical wind shear at the tropopause temperature inversion produces small-scale temperature irregularities which cause echoes on sensitive microwave radars and allow monitoring of the tropopause level and study of the progression of dynamic instability and turbulence generation in the clear atmosphere. For tropopause temperatures below about -45 to -50°C, the structure constant C2T, a characteristic measure of temperature variability within the inertial subrange, may be determined from radar reflectivity with an error less than 3 dB by neglecting water vapor contributions to refractive-index variability.

The first book to bring together the theory, design, and applications of atmospheric radar systems.

This fully illustrated volume covers the history of radar meteorology, deals with the issues in the field from both the operational and the scientific viewpoint, and looks ahead to future issues and how they will affect the current atmosphere. With over 200 contributors, the volume is a product of the entire community and represents an unprecedented compendium of knowledge in the field.