S-Pol: NCAR's polarimetric Doppler research radar

S-Pol is a relatively new radar developed at NCAR to replace the CP-2 dual polarization research radar that served the research community for nearly twenty years. The purpose of S-Pol is to provide a cost-effective state-of-the-art polarimetric Doppler weather radar for world-wide deployment in meteorological research programs. S-Pol has several significant improvements compared with CP-2. Its container transportation method allows practical temporary deployments worldwide including remote and difficult geographic sites. Additionally, S-Pol uses a high performance modern transmitter, low sidelobe parabolic antenna with high isolation between the horizontal and vertical channels, and matched dual channel receivers. The NCAR VME signal processor and data system computes complete polarimetric scattering matrix parameters. S-Pol was first fielded during the summer of 1996 at the Front Range Airport in Colorado in close proximity to the Denver WSR-88D. Since then, S-Pol has participated in five additional projects including ones in Kansas (CASES-9'1), Florida (PRECIP-98), Brazil (TRMM/LBA-99) and Italy (MAP-99). Its next deployment in May 2000 in eastern Colorado (STEPS) will make an impressive total of seven projects in 4 years. Based on present requests, S-Pol deployments for the next 3 years are projected at a similar rate.