What Is Reflectivity Data And How Is It Gathered?
Reflectivity data shows the radar’s signal reflected back to the radar by liquid and frozen droplets in the atmosphere. How Doppler Radar Works NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) can measure both precipitation and wind. The radar emits a short pulse of energy, and if the pulse strike an object (raindrop, snowflake, bug, bird, etc), the radar waves are scattered in all directions. A small portion of that scattered energy is directed back toward the radar. This reflected signal is then received by the radar during its listening period. Computers analyze the strength of the returned radar waves, time it took to travel to the object and back, and frequency shift of the pulse. The ability to detect the “shift in the frequency” of the pulse of energy makes NEXRAD a Doppler radar. Composite Reflectivity This display is of maximum echo intensity (reflectivity) from any elevation angle at every range from the radar. The reflectivity on individual PPI angles show the precipitation intensity at that
