| Instrument | Agency | Missions | Status | Type | Measurements &
applications | Technical characteristics |
AOS-Sky Radar
Atmosphere Observing System-Sky Radar | NASA | Current: -
Future: AOS-Sky
Complete: - | Proposed | Cloud profile and rain radars | Cloud profiling Doppler radar for characterizing precipitating cloud strudtures and related vertical air motions |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 94 GHz (W-band) or 35 GHz (Ka-band)
Ku-Band, W-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | <2 km horizontal, ≤500 m vertical
Best resolution: 2000 m |
| Swath width: | Nadir only |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | TBD |
|
CPR (EarthCARE)
Cloud Profiling Radar (EarthCARE) | JAXA (NICT) | Current: EarthCARE
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Cloud profile and rain radars | Measurement of cloud properties, light precipitation, vertical motion. |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 94 GHz
MW, W-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | Range resolution: 500m (100m sample)
Horizontal resolution: 800m (500m sample) |
| Swath width: | |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | No Access |
| Data Format: | HDF5 |
|
DAR
Dynamic Atmospheric Radar | NASA | Current: -
Future: INCUS
Complete: - | Being developed | Cloud profile and rain radars | Measures time-differenced profiles of radar reflectivity for convective mass flux |
| Waveband: | Ka-band (center frequency: 35.75 and bandwidth: 2.5 MHz)
Ka-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | 3.5 km horizontal resolution, 250 m vertical resolution
Best resolution: 3500 m |
| Swath width: | 11 km using 5-scanning beams |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | |
| Data Format: | |
|
DPR
Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar | JAXA (NICT) | Current: GPM Core
Future: -
Complete: - | Operational | Cloud profile and rain radars | Measures precipitation rate classified by rain and snow, in latitudes up to 65 degrees. |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 13.6 GHz (Ku band) and 35.5 GHz (Ka band)
MW, Ka-Band, Ku-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | Range resolution: 125m (NS, MS mode), 250m (HS mode),
Horizontal resolution: 5 km at nadir |
| Swath width: | 245 km (Ku-band), 125 km (Ka band) |
| Accuracy: | Rainfall rate 0.2 mm/h |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | HDF-EOS(HDF5) |
|
JAXA Ku-Band Doppler Radar
Precipitation Measuring Mission | JAXA (NASA) | Current: -
Future: AOS-PMM
Complete: - | Being developed | Cloud profile and rain radars | Precipitation profiling and mapping with nadir Doppler information for convective dynamics |
| Waveband: | Microwave: 13.6 GHz (Ku band)
Ku-Band |
| Spatial resolution: | 5 km horizontal, 500 m vertical for Doppler (nadir) and high-density modes (near nadir), 250 m vertical normal mode (off nadir) |
| Swath width: | 255 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | TBD |
|
PMR
Precipitation Measurement Radar | NSMC-CMA (CNSA) | Current: FY-3G
Future: FY-3I
Complete: - | Operational | Cloud profile and rain radars | Precipitation radar. |
| Waveband: | |
| Spatial resolution: | Horizontal 5 km, Vertical 250 m
Best resolution: 5000 m |
| Swath width: | Across track scan +/- 20.3 deg 300 km |
| Accuracy: | |
| Data Access: | Open Access |
| Data Format: | L-1 data: HDF 5.0 |
|