RaXPol

The Rapid X-band Polarimetric Radar, commonly abbreviated as RaXPol,^[1] is a mobile research radar designed and operated by the University of Oklahoma, led by Howard Bluestein. RaXPol often collaborates with adjacent mobile radar projects, such as Doppler on Wheels and SMART-R.^[2] Unlike its counterparts, RaXPol typically places emphasis on temporal resolution, and as such is capable of surveilling the entire local atmosphere in three dimensions in as little as 20 seconds, or a single level in less than 3 seconds.^[3]

History and deployment

Ever since meteorological observations on radar were first made widespread, the need for high-temporal resolution and comprehensive volumetric imagery of all three dimensions of weather phenomena has been a very high priority, due in large part to the fact that hazardous weather often happens in the span of seconds, and often in the lowest 1 kilometer of the atmosphere.

RaXPol has documented numerous hazardous weather events throughout its deployment history, among them being several dozen particularly intense tornadoes. On May 24, 2011, RaXPol observed an extremely violent EF-5 tornado near El Reno, Oklahoma at very high temporal resolution, measuring doppler velocities in excess of 250 mph.^[8] Two years later, RaXPol observed the widest tornado in recorded history (2.6 miles wide), also near the town of El Reno, retrieving among the highest doppler velocities ever recorded at 295 mph. Based on this data, the tornado was initially rated EF-5, but was later downgraded to an EF-3 due to the lack of supporting damage on the ground.^[9] Data gathered from RaXPol also indicates that the formation of tornadoes may not be a top-down process as was once thought.^[10]

References