NASA LMA Testbed Update

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NASA LMA Testbed Update Steven J. Goodman NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center Earth and Planetary
Science Branch Huntsville, Alabama, USA
Southern Thunder Workshop 25-27 July 2005 Fort
Worth, TX
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North Alabama Nowcasting Short-term Forecasting
Test Bed
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WWRP/Tom Keenan
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North Alabama LMA CoverageNWSFO HUN CWA
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North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA)

• Network of 10 detectors centered about HSV (NMT
  heritage)
• Computes 4-D location of all electrical
  discharges (flashes) within LMA (CGand IC, CC,
  CA)
• Flash location overlaid on radar and satellite
  imagery and updated every minute
• Trend information for individual storms
• Validation for TRMM LIS
• NASA Senior Review to extend mission approved

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ARMOR Advanced Radar for Meteorological and
Operational Research.
Deployed in Huntsville by NWS in 1977 as a local
warning radar (WSR-74C). Refurbished and
upgraded to Doppler in 1991. Donated to UAH in
2002 and upgraded to dual-polarimetry using the
SIGMET Antenna Mounted Receiver 11/04. Renamed
ARMOR.

• Location Huntsville Intl. Airport
• Altitude (antenna MSL) 206 m
• Transmit frequency 5625 MHz
• Peak Power 350 kW
• Pulse width 0.4 2.0 ms
• Maximum PRF 250-2000 s-1
• Antenna Diameter 3.7 m (12 ft CF Parabolic)
• Antenna Beam width 1.1o
• First side-lobe -23 to -24 dB
• Maximum rotation rate 18o s-1
• Transmit polarization Simultaneous H and V, or
  H
• Receive polarization SIGMET dual-channel H
  and V
• Signal Process SIGMET RVP/8
• Variables Z, V, W, ZDR, fDP, KDP, rhv, LDR
• New solid state transmitter March 2005
• More pulse stability, greater PRF, and improved
  pulse length agility.
• Power increase to 350 kW

Contact Dr. Walt Petersen, ESSC/NSSTC UAH
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ARMOR 21 February 2005 EL1.3o Golf-Ball Sized
Hail Florence, AL. Also a TRMM Overpass case
rhv
ZDR
Z
FDP
KDP
Vr (folded)
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ARMOR 04-07-05 Winds and HID
ARMOR-88D WINDS
RESEARCH ARMOR HID
OPERATIONAL ARMOR HID
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Data Examples 5/20/05 Heavy rain/small hail mix
MIPS
ARMOR
915 MHz
Rainrate _at_ 1 km 1325 UTC R(KDP,Z-R)
HID 1 km 1325 5/20/05
Ceilometer
LMA 1325 5/20/05 Total Lightning
MPR (T)
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GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM)
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Meteosat Third Generation (MTG)Lightning Imager
Mission
Update EUMETSAT re-evaluating need for 4
telescope system, reduce coverage overlap with
GOES-R
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Continuous GEO Total Lightning will identify
severe storm potential
Process physics understood
Ice flux drives lightning
GLM GOES E View
Storm-scale model for decision support system
Physical basis for improved forecasts
Updraft Intensifies
IC flash rate controlled by graupel (ice mass)
production (and vertical velocity)
Demonstrated in LEO with OTD LIS
Vortex Spins-up
Lightning jump precedes severe weather
Lightning improves storm predictability
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Lightning Flash Trend for Tornadic Supercells
Spatial resampling at 1 km - 8km