AN ALTERNATE VELOCITY DISPLAY SCALE FOR THE WSR-88D

摘要

Although the difference between the two types of velocity display are subtle, employing a lower non-zero threshold will more often than not display additional useful information in weak wind fields while not sacrificing the display of stronger winds. Since the WSR-88D is designed to detect velocities as low as 2 knots, one need not be concerned that noise is being displayed as real data if a threshold like 5 knots is chosen. Since boundaries can be detected sooner, and weak but significant mesoscale features like the Denver Cyclone can be more easily interpreted with lower threshold values, useful data is effectively being thrown away when a higher non-zero threshold is employed. Using a lower threshold for velocity display makes the WSR-88D a more effective observation tool.