Weather Radar and Instrumentation Curriculum:
A Cross-Disciplinary Approach
New Curriculum Continues!
The new cross-disciplinary curriculum continues and provides students with a unique and comprehensive experience in weather radar and meteorological instrumentation.
Emphasis is placed on providing a hands-on experience for students with data from several radars here in the Norman community,
including the Phased Array Radar and the KOUN Polarimetric Doppler Radar operated by the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
Spring Semester
Antennas
(ECE 5973-001)
Instructor: Dr. J. Crain
crain@ou.edu
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: ECE 3613 and MATH 3113, or permission
Course Outline: This course introduces the fundamental characteristics of antennas. Performance of operational design parameters and radiation pattern phenomena will be examined for electrically large antennas with application to Radar and Communications Systems. Course materials will cover both multi-polarized fixed beam (reflectors and flat plates) and phased array antennas. Students will learn the influence of antenna design on radar system performance and radar system cost.
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: ECE 3613 and MATH 3113, or permission
Course Outline: This course introduces the fundamental characteristics of antennas. Performance of operational design parameters and radiation pattern phenomena will be examined for electrically large antennas with application to Radar and Communications Systems. Course materials will cover both multi-polarized fixed beam (reflectors and flat plates) and phased array antennas. Students will learn the influence of antenna design on radar system performance and radar system cost.
Haz Wx Detec/Predic
(METR 4803)
Instructor: Dr. K. Droegemeier
kkd@ou.edu
Semester: Every other spring
Pre-requisites: permission (non-meteor majors only)
Course Outline: This course is designed to acquaint non-meteorology majors – especially EE, ECE, CS, Math and Hydrology graduate and senior undergraduate students – with the dynamics of hazardous weather (emphasis on deep convective storms) as well as its detection and numerical prediction.
Structure of the atmosphere; Forces, the equations of motion, mass continuity Flow balances and vorticity; Moist thermodynamics and static stability; Dynamics of deep convective storms and mesoscale systems; Numerical techniques and cloud-scale modeling; Radar remote sensing and interpretation; Techniques for automated hazardous weather detection; Radar retrieval, data assimilation and storm-scale prediction
Semester: Every other spring
Pre-requisites: permission (non-meteor majors only)
Course Outline: This course is designed to acquaint non-meteorology majors – especially EE, ECE, CS, Math and Hydrology graduate and senior undergraduate students – with the dynamics of hazardous weather (emphasis on deep convective storms) as well as its detection and numerical prediction.
Structure of the atmosphere; Forces, the equations of motion, mass continuity Flow balances and vorticity; Moist thermodynamics and static stability; Dynamics of deep convective storms and mesoscale systems; Numerical techniques and cloud-scale modeling; Radar remote sensing and interpretation; Techniques for automated hazardous weather detection; Radar retrieval, data assimilation and storm-scale prediction
Radar Engineering
(METR/ECE 5663)
Instructor: Dr. T. Yu
tyu@ou.edu
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: Grade of C or better in ECE 3613, or permission
Course Outline: This course introduces radar fundamentals, radar system design and applications. Radar systems architecture and their functionalities and limitations of subsystems will be discussed. Detection criteria and accuracy of radar measurements will be defined. Theories of radar detection and estimation in a noisy and clutter environment are examined. Existing technology and advanced techniques to improve radar performance are provided.
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: Grade of C or better in ECE 3613, or permission
Course Outline: This course introduces radar fundamentals, radar system design and applications. Radar systems architecture and their functionalities and limitations of subsystems will be discussed. Detection criteria and accuracy of radar measurements will be defined. Theories of radar detection and estimation in a noisy and clutter environment are examined. Existing technology and advanced techniques to improve radar performance are provided.
Radar Meteorology
(METR 4624)
Instructor: Dr. M. Biggerstaff
drdoppler@ou.edu
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: METR 3223, 3613; MATH 3113 or 3413
Course Outline: This course develops quantitative relationships between the physical characteristics of targets illuminated by radar and the signals measured by radar. The capabilities and limitations of various radar designs are examined to determine their impact on applications. Treatment of Doppler principles, including interpretation of Doppler data, is provided. Polarimetric and phased array radar are introduced. Experience is gained in laboratory exercises.
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: METR 3223, 3613; MATH 3113 or 3413
Course Outline: This course develops quantitative relationships between the physical characteristics of targets illuminated by radar and the signals measured by radar. The capabilities and limitations of various radar designs are examined to determine their impact on applications. Treatment of Doppler principles, including interpretation of Doppler data, is provided. Polarimetric and phased array radar are introduced. Experience is gained in laboratory exercises.
RF and Microwave Engineering
(ECE 4973/5973)
Instructor: Dr. Yan Zhang
rockee@ou.edu
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: ECE2723, ECE3613
Course Outline: RF and Microwave Engineering provides the circuit-treatment of electromagnetism and engineering training on wireless design. The goal of the course is to introduce the basic theory and skills for future RF-Microwave engineers focusing on circuits-systems that are critical to modern radar and wireless communications. The course mainly serves the increasing demand from RF and microwave industries, and intends to deliver both advanced theoretical tools and hands-on hardware experience.
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: ECE2723, ECE3613
Course Outline: RF and Microwave Engineering provides the circuit-treatment of electromagnetism and engineering training on wireless design. The goal of the course is to introduce the basic theory and skills for future RF-Microwave engineers focusing on circuits-systems that are critical to modern radar and wireless communications. The course mainly serves the increasing demand from RF and microwave industries, and intends to deliver both advanced theoretical tools and hands-on hardware experience.
Wx Radar Applications
(METR/ECE 5683)
Instructor: Dr. P. Chilson
chilson@ou.edu
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: METR 5673 or permission
Course Outline: This course continues to build on the concepts that were presented in Weather Radar Theory and Practice. A variety of methods will be presented to assist the student in identifying meteorological structures using weather radars and the radar equation. The course presents quantitative precipitation estimation methods based on the radar reflectivity factor, attenuation, and dual-polarization observations. Students will also be introduced to the treatment of clear-air radar echoes and the retrieval of winds under non-precipitating conditions.
Semester: Spring
Pre-requisites: METR 5673 or permission
Course Outline: This course continues to build on the concepts that were presented in Weather Radar Theory and Practice. A variety of methods will be presented to assist the student in identifying meteorological structures using weather radars and the radar equation. The course presents quantitative precipitation estimation methods based on the radar reflectivity factor, attenuation, and dual-polarization observations. Students will also be introduced to the treatment of clear-air radar echoes and the retrieval of winds under non-precipitating conditions.
Fall Semester
Adaptive Digital Signal and Array Processing
(ECE 5283-002/4973-002)
Instructor: Prof. M. Yeary
yeary@ou.edu
Semester: Fall
Pre-requisites: ECE 3793.
Note: Reduced homework/exam requirements for undergrads to encourage their enrollment.
Course Outline: In the classroom, the students will study the theory behind modern day adaptive digital signal and array processing. In particular, the gradient descent and the recursive least squares algorithms will be studied as a means to minimize various functions as a means of signal (information) extraction. Emphasis will be placed on theory, as well as real-time hardware design and practical processing of interesting radar data.
Semester: Fall
Pre-requisites: ECE 3793.
Note: Reduced homework/exam requirements for undergrads to encourage their enrollment.
Course Outline: In the classroom, the students will study the theory behind modern day adaptive digital signal and array processing. In particular, the gradient descent and the recursive least squares algorithms will be studied as a means to minimize various functions as a means of signal (information) extraction. Emphasis will be placed on theory, as well as real-time hardware design and practical processing of interesting radar data.
Wx Radar Polarimetry
(METR/ECE 6613)
formerly called Wave Interactions with Geophysical Media
Instructor: Dr. G. Zhang
guzhang1@ou.edu
Semester: Every other fall
Pre-requisites: METR 5673 or permission
Course Outline: This course provides fundamentals and principles for radar remote sensing through the understanding of wave scattering and propagation in geophysical media subjected to turbulent mixing and filled with hydrometers and other objects. The relations between polarization radar variables and physical parameters will be established. Remote sensing techniques and retrieval methods for microphysics and transverse wind will be introduced. Students will learn why and how radar polarimetry and interferometry are used in weather studies: classification, detection, quantification and forecast.
Semester: Every other fall
Pre-requisites: METR 5673 or permission
Course Outline: This course provides fundamentals and principles for radar remote sensing through the understanding of wave scattering and propagation in geophysical media subjected to turbulent mixing and filled with hydrometers and other objects. The relations between polarization radar variables and physical parameters will be established. Remote sensing techniques and retrieval methods for microphysics and transverse wind will be introduced. Students will learn why and how radar polarimetry and interferometry are used in weather studies: classification, detection, quantification and forecast.
Weather Radar Theory and Practice
(METR/ECE 5673 or ECE 4673)
Instructor: Prof. R. Palmer
rpalmer@ou.edu
Semester: Fall
Pre-requisites: Grade of C or better in MATH 3113, PHYS 2524, and graduate standing, or permission.
Course Outline: This course offers you the practical theory behind Doppler weather radar. Introduction to electromagnetics, signal processing, and basic meteorology will be provided in hopes of encouraging a diverse group of students from engineering and meteorology. Students will work with data from some of the most sophisticated weather radars in the world located at the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Practical theory and tips will be provided to process, understand, and interpret data from this increasingly important instrument for the study of the atmosphere.
Semester: Fall
Pre-requisites: Grade of C or better in MATH 3113, PHYS 2524, and graduate standing, or permission.
Course Outline: This course offers you the practical theory behind Doppler weather radar. Introduction to electromagnetics, signal processing, and basic meteorology will be provided in hopes of encouraging a diverse group of students from engineering and meteorology. Students will work with data from some of the most sophisticated weather radars in the world located at the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Practical theory and tips will be provided to process, understand, and interpret data from this increasingly important instrument for the study of the atmosphere.