ELDORA Data Processing Procedures

Note: the steps with a * indicate steps that are currently performed by EOL.
Software programming languages are indicated in parentheses, and EOL developed software is highlighted with a +.

The software tools listed here are meant to provide an overview of the known tools available for ELDORA processing. Software listed here is not necessarily supported by either EOL or the developer of the software. All questions regarding the use of a particular software package should be directed to the appropriate entity.

  1. *Translate the raw ELDORA field format data into DORADE sweep files.

  2. *Calculate navigation correction factors (cfac files) for each flight

    1. Determine appropriate calibration legs from flight level data
    2. Calculate corrections for the flight.
    • Known software tools:
      1. Plotscatter+ - THL method (FORTRAN)
        • Applicable to stationary, flat ground surfaces
      2. ADNaCS+ - THL or GRH methods (IDL)
        • Allows calculation over complex terrain

  3. Fine-tune navigation corrections for each leg of data

    1. Calculate drift, tilt, and ground speed corrections.
      • Known software tools:
      1. TuningFork+ - ETHL method (IDL)
        • Stationary, flat ground surfaces
      2. DoppRL - BLW method. (FORTRAN)
        • Complex terrain and moving, i.e. ocean, surfaces
    2. Run translator or SOLO to apply corrections
    3. View the sweep files with SOLO to see if ground residual is zero
    4. Repeat procedure if further correction is necessary

  4. Edit the data to remove ground echo, noise, clutter, and radar side-lobes, as well as velocity unfolding.

    • Known software tools:
      1. SOLO+ - Interactive tool for manual and batch editing of radar data. Contains many powerful features for visualization and editing of both ground-based and airborne radar. (C)
      2. Automated ground removal algorithms over complex terrain for NOAA P3 tail radar data have been developed by Bousquet & Smull (2003), but due to the multiple frequencies used on ELDORA, they are not directly applicable. Future efforts hope to resolve this.

  5. Interpolate the data to gridded format.

    • Known software tools:
      1. REORDER+- Interpolates to cartesian or cylindrical (coplane) space. Output format is CEDRIC or netCDF. (FORTRAN & C)
        • Available interpolation schemes are Cressman, Exponential, Uniform, and Closest Point
      2. SPRINT - Interpolates to cartesian, latitude-longitude, or coplane space. Developed by Carl Mohr and Jay Miller NCAR/MMM. Output format is CEDRIC. (FORTRAN)
        • Uses bilinear interpolation
      3. WindInterpolate - Interpolates to cartesian grid. This software is currently under development by John Gamache at NOAA's Hurricane Research Division. Output format is FORTRAN binary. (FORTRAN)
        • Uses bilinear interpolation.

  6. Synthesize multiple gridded data files to get 3-dimensional wind field and derived quantities.

    • Known software tools:
      1. CEDRIC - Synthesis of multiple radar grids using a two-equation solution to derive U & V. W is obtained through upward or downward integration of the mass continuity equation, or a variational column approach. Use of an over-determined 3-equation solution is also available with 3 or more radars. Developed by Carl Mohr and Jay Miller NCAR/MMM. Output is CEDRIC format. (FORTRAN & C)
      2. Wind3_fill - Synthesis of multiple radar grids using a three-dimensional wind solver that includes the
        continuity equation. A variational approach combined with a loose-fitting continuity equation derives U, V, and W simultaneously. This software is currently under development by John Gamache at NOAA's Hurricane Research Division. Output is FORTRAN binary. (FORTRAN)

  7. Visualize resulting wind field and derived quantities.

    • Known software tools:
      1. IDT - X-windows viewer for NCAR Graphics gmeta files produced during the CEDRIC synthesis.
      2. Grid2ps+ - Creates Postscript image files from CEDRIC format files. Can be used to visualize REORDER and CEDRIC output.
      3. Radarslicer - X-windows viewer for output from wind3_fill. Developed by Peter Dodge and John Gamache at NOAA's Hurricane Research Division.
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