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False echoes have been muddying radar observations since the technology’s inception, and highly sophisticated algorithms can remove most of these echoes from the data. Their detection is the primary goal of NEXRAD systems, and quality control filters have been created to remove distracting data. Such distractions include “false echoes” from ground clutter (wave reflections from nearby buildings/trees) and from waves bent towards the Earth’s surface (a somewhat rare phenomenon caused by changes in air temperature). Meteorological objects (rain, snow, sleet, and the like) are the most common targets found in radar data. …BUT, HOW DO WE KNOW THESE ARE BIRDS?Įquipped with computing power and advanced radar technology, we can begin to provide detailed data on avian activity in the atmosphere NON-BIOLOGICAL For meteorologists, dual-pol data provide an ability to distinguish partially frozen sleet from droplets of rain for ornithologists, they allow us to more easily separate birds from precipitation and other flying creatures. Radars outfitted with dual-pol allow for better discrimination of targets. radars called “ dual polarization” (dual-pol, for short)-pulses of microwaves emitted at two angles instead of one.
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In 2013, NOAA deployed a new feature to U.S. By this time, many knew that a large component of targets on radar were birds aloft on their bi-annual migrations, but the computer power, data storage, and computer algorithms needed to parse out birds from meteorological phenomena in radar data did not exist. Data were difficult to access and manipulate, and computers took hours-days, on occasion-to retrieve and process information of ornithological importance. In recent years, faster, more efficient, and more effective computing power, coupled with an invaluable upgrade in NEXRAD technology, provided the tools to extract avian information. Purple Martins leave their roosts, causing an iconic radar ring. (Base reflectivity radar imagery from August 4th, 2017.)įast forward five decades to the 1990s, when technological advances of Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) became operational in the U.S., allowing the field of radar ornithology to truly take flight. These pioneering engineers and operators were the first to realize that radars could detect objects well beyond the intended range of aircraft and meteorological phenomena. Meteorological phenomena share the sky with objects both human and biological, from aircraft and Saharan dust to hordes of mayflies and forest fire smoke plumes. And confusion about these targets arose for good reason: radar captures information about anything in the atmosphere that can scatter its pulsed microwave energy back to it. These targets did not correspond to any weather condition or aircraft and were dubbed “angels” in honor of their transient nature. The same radars that meteorologists use to estimate rainfall rates are equally adept at detecting other objects in the atmosphere, like birds.įrom the earliest years of radar development, engineers and operators noticed dots on their screens that confused them. One of radar’s most common applications is the detection of meteorological events-especially thunderstorms, tornados, and hurricanes. As the decades have passed, it has become a valuable tool for studying all kinds of objects in the atmosphere. Radar, an acronym for radio detection and ranging, was originally developed to detect enemy aircraft in World War II. In this article, we’ll give you a brief overview and a behind-the-scenes look at the ways we apply radar data to study bird migration.Ĭheck out our FAQ for more in-depth explanations of our work. After several years (and hundreds of posts) describing migration, species on the move, and unique migration events, we want you to have a better understanding of what happens at BirdCast. We have been hard at work serving you products, like the new migration forecast and live migration maps.
![weather dual doppler radar in motion weather dual doppler radar in motion](https://ewradar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/E650-no-legs.png)
Here at BirdCast, we turn weather radar data into information on the numbers and flight directions of birds aloft in order to expand the understanding of migratory bird movement. (Base reflectivity radar imagery from October 16th-17th, 2017, 12pm-12pm EST.)ĭoppler weather radar data-like those shown in the animation above and often featured in weather broadcasts-can tell us much more than how much rain will fall on your weekend cookout. Circular blue and green features represent bird migration precipitation appears as irregular bands. A 24-hour national mosaic animation of radar imagery featuring large numbers of birds taking flight.