The TUD-NL (CCRES-NL)Unit is hosted at the Delft University of Technology (TUD), the largest technical university in The Netherlands. The CCRES-NL unit made a first investigation for a drone-aided radar calibration procedure (H2020 ACTRIS-2 program) applied to a S-band precipitation radar profiler. Using the multi-instrumented Ruisdael Observatory in Cabauw measurement methodologies for clutter mitigation and retrieval algorithms for the determination of precipitation properties have been developed. Its presently main activity inside CCRES is the investigation of cloud radar calibration procedures.

The Cabauw station is located in the western part of The Netherlands (51.971oN, 4.927oE) in a polder 0.7 m below average sea level. At the site, a large set of instruments is operated to study the atmosphere and its interaction with the land surface. The Cabauw site is managed by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and used for:

  • Monitoring of long-term tendencies in atmospheric conditions and composition,
  • Studies of atmospheric and land surface processes for climate modelling
  • Validation of space-borne observations and atmospheric models,
  • The development and implementation of new measurement techniques

(ref.: National Ruisdael Observatory)

At Cabauw, TU-Delft is responsible of the microwave sensors. They consist of a scanning dual-frequency cloud radar (RPG, frequencies 94 and 35 GHz), a vertically profiling micro-rain radar (24.2 GHz), an X-band weather radar horizontally scanning in azimuth and a S-band precipitation and wind radar profiler at the elevation 45 deg. (this radar is quite old and needs a significant upgrade). The X-band radar is located at the top of the Cabauw site meteorological tower (213 m) and the other radars are ground-based. The cloud radar is coupled with a microwave radiometer. Further disdrometers (2 Parsivel) are present on the site for in-situ measurements of precipitation (raindrop size distribution). The third Parsivel disdrometer is located on one arm of the meteorological tower (180 m). All these instruments provide a good measurement capability for precipitation and cloud research.

Presently, the TU-Delft Ruisdael team related to Atmospheric Observations at Cabauw consists of 5 persons.

 

C. Unal.