Abstract
Applications of weather radar data to complex orography are manifold, as are the problems. The difficulties start with the choice of suitable locations for the radar sites and their construction, which often involves long transport routes and harsh weather conditions. The next challenge is the 24/7 operation and maintenance of the remote, unmanned mountain stations, with high demands on the availability and stability of the hardware. The data processing and product generation also require solutions that have been specifically designed and optimised in a mountainous region. The reflection and shielding of the beam by the mountains, in particular, pose great challenges. This review article discusses the main problems and sources of error and presents solutions for the application of weather radar technology in complex orography. The review is focused on operational radars and practical applications, such as nowcasting and the automatic warning of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, hail, flash floods and debris flows. The presented material is based, to a great extent, on experience collected by the authors in the Swiss Alps. The results show that, in spite of the major difficulties that emerge in mountainous regions, weather radar data have an important value for many practical quantitative applications.
Highlights
Installing and operating a radar in a region surrounded by high mountains is a difficult technological challenge
There is no perfect solution for the use of radars in complex orography
A number of important decisions have to be made at an early stage when the overall design of a radar network over complex orography is necessary
Summary
Installing and operating a radar in a region surrounded by high mountains is a difficult technological challenge. Long access routes, exposure to lightning and melting permafrost as well as the limited space on mountain crests make the civil works, power supply, data transmission, building and radar maintenance difficult Using radars for meteorological and hydrological applications in a mountainous region poses many other challenges. The radar configurations and algorithms developed for flat regions often fail to work properly over complex orography for several reasons. The requirements of the users of radar products are different
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