King City weather radar station

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The King City weather radar station (ICAO site identifier:CWKR) is a weather radar located in King City, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by Environment Canada and is part of the Canadian weather radar network.

The site is listed at an elevation of 360 m, at 43°51′50″N, 79°34′27″WCoordinates: 43°51′50″N, 79°34′27″W. The tower is 27 m tall.[1] It should be noted that online aerial photos do not correspond to these coordinates - it appears that the correct location may be 43°57′50″N, 79°34′27″WCoordinates: 43°57′50″N, 79°34′27″W. (note, 57 minutes north, not 51)

Mounted on the tower is a 5 cm weather radar, and a C-band dual-polarization radar system was installed at the site in 2004.

[edit] Research

Tower and radome of the old radar prior to the upgrade to the dual-polarization radar.
Tower and radome of the old radar prior to the upgrade to the dual-polarization radar.

The station serves a number of research roles, and collects data to fulfill those observational needs.

In 1985, the Research Directorate of the Atmospheric Environment Service established the first Canadian weather radar with Doppler capability in King City.[2] In 2004, a Dual-Polarization Radar was installed for further research. [3] These systems are used for predictive purposes, and the data collected is used for weather forecasts for the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe.

Further, under the auspices of the Cloud Physics and Severe Weather Research Section of Environment Canada, the King Doppler Weather Radar Research Facility collects data for research.

The C-band radar can be useful for observing bird migration patterns, especially when data is taken in aggregate with that of other radar stations. Current active research in dual-polarization radar includes winter precipitation, quantitative precipitation estimates and particle type identification.


[edit] References

  1. ^ Information about the site. The National Radar Program. Environment Canada (2002). Retrieved on 2006-05-24.
  2. ^ The King City Operational Doppler Radar: Development, All-Season Applications and Forecasting (PDF). Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (1990). Retrieved on 2006-05-24.
  3. ^ David Sills (2004). The New Dual-Polarization Radar at King City. Retrieved on 2006-05-24.

[edit] External links

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