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Instrument

ESRAD
Esrange MST Radar

The Esrange MST Radar (ESRAD) is a ground-based, mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere (MST) radar located a Esrange, Sweden. It was designed to provide details about atmospheric winds and turbulence from the troposphere to the mesosphere. ESRAD measures radar backscatter at 52 MHz, which can be used to retrieve profiles of turbulence, vertical wind, and wind speed/direction. ESRAD can sample heights from 100 m to 128 km and has a range resolution of 75 m to 3 km. A typical cycle takes about 1 to 2 minutes in each scanning mode.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Instrument Details

Radar
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Backscatter
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles > Wind Velocity/speed Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Profiles > Wind Direction Profiles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Dynamics > Vertical Wind Velocity/speed
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Wind Dynamics > Turbulence
Full Column Profile
1-2 min
75m-3km
52 MHz
Currently unavailble
  • Sheila Kirkwood

  • Sheila Kirkwood

  • Swedish Institute of Space Physics

  • Swedish Space Corporation, Swedish Natural Science Research Council

  • Overview PublicationExternal Link