| Penn State University – Dual-pol Radar for Outreach and Precipitation Studies (PSU-DROPS) |
Principle Investigators: Matthew R. Kumjian and Yvette P. Richardson
Where: Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University
When: 29 September - 10 October 2014
Facility: CSWR Doppler on Wheels
The polarimetric Doppler on Wheels 7 (DOW7) visited Penn State University’s University Park campus from 29 September—10 October 2014 for the Penn State University Dual-pol Radar for Outreach and Precipitation Studies (PSU-DROPS) project. PSU-DROPS was made possible by an Educational Deployment grant sponsored by the National Science Foundation. During PSU-DROPS, students from the Mesoscale Meteorology (METEO 414; 9 students) and Radar Meteorology (METEO 434; 17 students) courses received training on radar operation, designed their own scanning strategies, and went into the field to execute their scanning strategies during precipitation events. Additionally, DOW7 was part of numerous outreach efforts at local schools and community events.
The nationwide upgrade of the Weather Surveillance Radar 1988-Doppler (WSR-88D) network to dual-polarization capabilities has added a wealth of new information for use by operational and research meteorologists. The complexity of these new data necessitates a solid understanding of the fundamentals of radar technology, mesoscale meteorology, and cloud physics. The meteorology department at Penn State University (PSU) already has an outstanding Mesoscale Meteorology course (METEO 414), taught by two of the leading researchers in the field (Dr. Yvette Richardson and Dr. Paul Markowski). After a several-year hiatus, the Radar Meteorology course was re-introduced and re-vamped this year, taught by Dr. Matthew Kumjian (METEO 434). The new course has a strong emphasis on dual-.‐polarization principles and applications. Together, METEO 414 and 434 strive to arm PSU graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to have successful careers in the public, private, or academic sectors.
>> Read the complete PSUDROPS Facility Request
>> Read the complete PSUDROPS Summary Report
