The National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL) at Gadanki near Tirupati has formed a consortium to strengthen radar-based atmospheric research.
The cooperative research consortium of high-power atmospheric radars has been formed with five high-power stratosphere, troposphere/ mesosphere – stratosphere– troposphere (ST/MST) radars, which are functioning in different parts of the country in different climatic and orographic conditions.
The radars governed by the NARL, Gadanki (Andhra Pradesh); Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kerala; Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital in Uttarakhand; Gauhati University, Guwahati (Assam); and University of Calcutta (West Bengal) are used for measuring wind, turbulence, meteorological and ionospheric parameters with excellent height and time resolutions.
The formation of the consortium is aimed at strengthening atmospheric science and technology through coordinated radar observations, education, training and exchange programmes. The effort, which was set in motion in form of a training session on Thursday, was attended by 60 delegates including professors, faculty members, research scholars, post-doctoral fellows and technical staff. The programme included tutorials on ST/MST radar techniques, parameter retrieval, techniques for addressing technological problems.
The training imparted here is expected to produce manpower for weather and climate research and meet the operational requirements of a large number of weather radars in the country.