TWP/KASACR/C3 - General Quality Statement

The SACR continues to undergo evaluation by the radar instrument mentors, ProSensing, VAP 
developers, DQ Office, site scientists, users, etc.  As more in-depth analysis and 
calibration studies take place, we anticipate that new insights will be gained to increase the 
quality of the data and decrease the uncertainty of the measurements.  This is a 
continuous improvement process and issues will be addressed as they are discovered.

Calibration is very important.  Calibration of the SACRs depends on the careful 
installation of a corner reflector target.  These are installed at all ARM fixed sites and AMF1 on 
Cape Cod.  This provides a external calibration reference not obtainable with a 
zenith-pointing radar such as the KAZR.  However, significant data analysis is required to assure 
that the radar is pointing at the target and there are no interfering losses in the 
transmission path.

As issues are discovered, attempts will be made to correct data that is currently in the 
Archive.  However, retrospective correction of errors due calibration, signal processing, 
component degradation and software bugs may not be possible for many of the data files.

This open-ended DQR is an advisory that some aspects of the data quality are not yet 
known.  It is also a request for users that find issues or questions with the data to contact 
the ARM Radar Engineering & Operations Group Manager, Kevin Widener, at 
kevin.widener@pnnl.gov as these issues occur so that they can be investigated and corrected if necessary.

• type_of_instrument(instrument_type)
• calibrated_radar_receiver_gain_v_co_polar_channel(r_calib_receiver_gain_hc)
• Transmit power(r_calib_xmit_power_h)
• Doppler spectrum width (second moment of the doppler spectrum)(spectral_width)
• Noise power in noise source region for horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_noise_source_power_h)
• East longitude(longitude)
• Distance to the center of the corresponding range bin(range)
• Noise power in noise source region for vertical cross-polar channel(r_calib_noise_source_power_v)
• Receiver gain for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_receiver_gain_vx)
• platform_type(platform_type)
• Follow mode(follow_mode)
• Index of first ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_start_ray_index)
• altitude(altitude)
• Unambiguous range(unambiguous_range)
• data_volume_start_time_utc(time_coverage_start)
• Index for the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_index)
• Time of the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_time)
• altitude_above_ground_level(altitude_agl)
• Primary axis of rotation(primary_axis)
• Time corresponding to last radial in file(time_coverage_end)
• Radar constant, vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_radar_constant_v)
• Radar constant, horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_radar_constant_h)
• North latitude(latitude)
• Sky noise, cross-polarization(sky_noise_xpol)
• Noise flor for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_noise_vx)
• base time in epoch(base_time)
• radiation_frequency(frequency)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, h channel(radar_antenna_gain_h)
• antenna_is_in_transition_between_sweeps(antenna_transition)
• Sweep number, zero-based count(sweep_number)
• Cross-polar propagation phase shift(cross_polar_differential_phase)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, v channel(radar_antenna_gain_v)
• Scan mode for sweep(sweep_mode)
• Beam Elevation Angle(elevation)
• pulse_repetition_frequency(prt)
• Noise floor power for horizontal copolar channel1(r_calib_noise_hc)
• Pulse width(pulse_width)
• Time offset from base_time(time_offset)
• Azimuth of Radar Ray(azimuth)
• Radar measured transmit power, h channel(radar_measured_transmit_power_h)
• Mean doppler velocity(mean_doppler_velocity)
• Copol to cross-polar correlation coefficient (also known as rhocx)(co_to_crosspol_correlation_coeff)
• Number of samples used to compute moments(n_samples)
• Scan rate, positive for clockwise or increasing elevation(scan_rate)
• Sky power, cross-polar(sky_power_xpol)
• Sky power, copolar(sky_power_copol)
• Unambiguous Doppler velocity(nyquist_velocity)
• Polarization mode(polarization_mode)
• Sky noise, copolar(sky_noise_copol)
• Linear depolarization ratio(linear_depolarization_ratio)
• radar_calibration_two_way_radome_loss_h_channel(r_calib_two_way_radome_loss_h)
• ray_target_fixed_angle(fixed_angle)
• Time index of last ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_end_ray_index)
• time_in_seconds_since_volume_start(time)
• lon(lon)
• transmit_pulse_mode(prt_mode)
• -180.0 - +180.0(alt)
• reflectivity(reflectivity)
• data_volume_index_number(volume_number)
• Pulse width for this calibration(r_calib_pulse_width)
• North Latitude(lat)
• half_power_radar_beam_width_h_channel(radar_beam_width_h)
• Signal-to-noise-ratio(snr)
• Radar beam width, vertical channel(radar_beam_width_v)

• Signal-to-noise-ratio(snr)
• Follow mode(follow_mode)
• calibrated_radar_receiver_gain_v_co_polar_channel(r_calib_receiver_gain_hc)
• Scan mode for sweep(sweep_mode)
• data_volume_start_time_utc(time_coverage_start)
• Copol to cross-polar correlation coefficient (also known as rhocx)(co_to_crosspol_correlation_coeff)
• Sky power, copolar(sky_power_copol)
• type_of_instrument(instrument_type)
• radiation_frequency(frequency)
• North Latitude(lat)
• Noise power in noise source region for vertical cross-polar channel(r_calib_noise_source_power_v)
• altitude_above_ground_level(altitude_agl)
• Noise power in noise source region for horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_noise_source_power_h)
• Sky power, cross-polar(sky_power_xpol)
• -180.0 - +180.0(alt)
• Radar constant, vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_radar_constant_v)
• Radar constant, horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_radar_constant_h)
• Radar measured transmit power, h channel(radar_measured_transmit_power_h)
• base time in epoch(base_time)
• data_volume_index_number(volume_number)
• Time of the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_time)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, v channel(radar_antenna_gain_v)
• Polarization mode(polarization_mode)
• Doppler spectrum width (second moment of the doppler spectrum)(spectral_width)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, h channel(radar_antenna_gain_h)
• antenna_is_in_transition_between_sweeps(antenna_transition)
• Distance to the center of the corresponding range bin(range)
• lon(lon)
• Sweep number, zero-based count(sweep_number)
• radar_calibration_two_way_radome_loss_h_channel(r_calib_two_way_radome_loss_h)
• Primary axis of rotation(primary_axis)
• transmit_pulse_mode(prt_mode)
• Unambiguous Doppler velocity(nyquist_velocity)
• Time corresponding to last radial in file(time_coverage_end)
• Scan rate, positive for clockwise or increasing elevation(scan_rate)
• Index of first ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_start_ray_index)
• Mean doppler velocity(mean_doppler_velocity)
• platform_type(platform_type)
• Noise flor for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_noise_vx)
• Pulse width for this calibration(r_calib_pulse_width)
• Pulse width(pulse_width)
• ray_target_fixed_angle(fixed_angle)
• Noise floor power for horizontal copolar channel1(r_calib_noise_hc)
• altitude(altitude)
• pulse_repetition_frequency(prt)
• Linear depolarization ratio(linear_depolarization_ratio)
• Number of samples used to compute moments(n_samples)
• Unambiguous range(unambiguous_range)
• Azimuth of Radar Ray(azimuth)
• Index for the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_index)
• Sky noise, copolar(sky_noise_copol)
• reflectivity(reflectivity)
• Beam Elevation Angle(elevation)
• Cross-polar propagation phase shift(cross_polar_differential_phase)
• Sky noise, cross-polarization(sky_noise_xpol)
• North latitude(latitude)
• Time offset from base_time(time_offset)
• time_in_seconds_since_volume_start(time)
• Radar beam width, vertical channel(radar_beam_width_v)
• Transmit power(r_calib_xmit_power_h)
• Receiver gain for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_receiver_gain_vx)
• East longitude(longitude)
• Time index of last ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_end_ray_index)
• half_power_radar_beam_width_h_channel(radar_beam_width_h)

• platform_type(platform_type)
• Noise floor power for horizontal copolar channel1(r_calib_noise_hc)
• radiation_frequency(frequency)
• Unambiguous range(unambiguous_range)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, h channel(radar_antenna_gain_h)
• Pulse width for this calibration(r_calib_pulse_width)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, v channel(radar_antenna_gain_v)
• East longitude(longitude)
• reflectivity(reflectivity)
• altitude(altitude)
• Polarization mode(polarization_mode)
• Mean doppler velocity(mean_doppler_velocity)
• base time in epoch(base_time)
• time_in_seconds_since_volume_start(time)
• Index of first ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_start_ray_index)
• Index for the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_index)
• Radar constant, horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_radar_constant_h)
• Noise flor for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_noise_vx)
• ray_target_fixed_angle(fixed_angle)
• pulse_repetition_frequency(prt)
• Time of the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_time)
• Number of samples used to compute moments(n_samples)
• Sky noise, copolar(sky_noise_copol)
• transmit_pulse_mode(prt_mode)
• Pulse width(pulse_width)
• Receiver gain for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_receiver_gain_vx)
• radar_calibration_two_way_radome_loss_h_channel(r_calib_two_way_radome_loss_h)
• Sky power, copolar(sky_power_copol)
• calibrated_radar_receiver_gain_v_co_polar_channel(r_calib_receiver_gain_hc)
• Time offset from base_time(time_offset)
• Distance to the center of the corresponding range bin(range)
• lon(lon)
• Sweep number, zero-based count(sweep_number)
• Linear depolarization ratio(linear_depolarization_ratio)
• Beam Elevation Angle(elevation)
• antenna_is_in_transition_between_sweeps(antenna_transition)
• type_of_instrument(instrument_type)
• Sky noise, cross-polarization(sky_noise_xpol)
• Transmit power(r_calib_xmit_power_h)
• Signal-to-noise-ratio(snr)
• Time index of last ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_end_ray_index)
• North latitude(latitude)
• Azimuth of Radar Ray(azimuth)
• Cross-polar propagation phase shift(cross_polar_differential_phase)
• North Latitude(lat)
• -180.0 - +180.0(alt)
• Copol to cross-polar correlation coefficient (also known as rhocx)(co_to_crosspol_correlation_coeff)
• Scan rate, positive for clockwise or increasing elevation(scan_rate)
• Sky power, cross-polar(sky_power_xpol)
• Primary axis of rotation(primary_axis)
• data_volume_start_time_utc(time_coverage_start)
• altitude_above_ground_level(altitude_agl)
• Noise power in noise source region for vertical cross-polar channel(r_calib_noise_source_power_v)
• data_volume_index_number(volume_number)
• Time corresponding to last radial in file(time_coverage_end)
• Scan mode for sweep(sweep_mode)
• Noise power in noise source region for horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_noise_source_power_h)
• Radar constant, vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_radar_constant_v)
• Radar measured transmit power, h channel(radar_measured_transmit_power_h)
• Doppler spectrum width (second moment of the doppler spectrum)(spectral_width)
• Radar beam width, vertical channel(radar_beam_width_v)
• half_power_radar_beam_width_h_channel(radar_beam_width_h)
• Follow mode(follow_mode)
• Unambiguous Doppler velocity(nyquist_velocity)

• lon(lon)
• time_in_seconds_since_volume_start(time)
• Spectral velocity bins(velocity_bins)
• Signal-to-noise ratio(signal_to_noise_ratio)
• Distance to the center of the corresponding range bin(range)
• Doppler spectrum width (second moment of the doppler spectrum)(spectral_width)
• base time in epoch(base_time)
• Mean doppler velocity(mean_doppler_velocity)
• Spectra(spectra)
• Locator Mask for Spectra(locator_mask)
• Time offset from base_time(time_offset)
• Azimuth of Radar Ray(azimuth)
• North Latitude(lat)
• -180.0 - +180.0(alt)
• reflectivity(reflectivity)
• Beam Elevation Angle(elevation)

• Linear depolarization ratio(linear_depolarization_ratio)
• Noise floor power for horizontal copolar channel1(r_calib_noise_hc)
• Receiver gain for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_receiver_gain_vx)
• Follow mode(follow_mode)
• platform_type(platform_type)
• lon(lon)
• Radar measured transmit power, h channel(radar_measured_transmit_power_h)
• calibrated_radar_receiver_gain_v_co_polar_channel(r_calib_receiver_gain_hc)
• Unambiguous Doppler velocity(nyquist_velocity)
• Azimuth of Radar Ray(azimuth)
• Noise power in noise source region for vertical cross-polar channel(r_calib_noise_source_power_v)
• Cross-polar propagation phase shift(cross_polar_differential_phase)
• Sky power, copolar(sky_power_copol)
• Mean doppler velocity(mean_doppler_velocity)
• Noise power in noise source region for horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_noise_source_power_h)
• altitude_above_ground_level(altitude_agl)
• Doppler spectrum width (second moment of the doppler spectrum)(spectral_width)
• Copol to cross-polar correlation coefficient (also known as rhocx)(co_to_crosspol_correlation_coeff)
• Index of first ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_start_ray_index)
• Sky noise, cross-polarization(sky_noise_xpol)
• type_of_instrument(instrument_type)
• Pulse width for this calibration(r_calib_pulse_width)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, v channel(radar_antenna_gain_v)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, h channel(radar_antenna_gain_h)
• Time corresponding to last radial in file(time_coverage_end)
• Index for the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_index)
• Distance to the center of the corresponding range bin(range)
• Noise flor for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_noise_vx)
• North Latitude(lat)
• -180.0 - +180.0(alt)
• reflectivity(reflectivity)
• Unambiguous range(unambiguous_range)
• antenna_is_in_transition_between_sweeps(antenna_transition)
• radiation_frequency(frequency)
• base time in epoch(base_time)
• Signal-to-noise-ratio(snr)
• Number of samples used to compute moments(n_samples)
• Sky power, cross-polar(sky_power_xpol)
• Pulse width(pulse_width)
• transmit_pulse_mode(prt_mode)
• Sky noise, copolar(sky_noise_copol)
• Scan rate, positive for clockwise or increasing elevation(scan_rate)
• Scan mode for sweep(sweep_mode)
• Sweep number, zero-based count(sweep_number)
• radar_calibration_two_way_radome_loss_h_channel(r_calib_two_way_radome_loss_h)
• half_power_radar_beam_width_h_channel(radar_beam_width_h)
• Radar beam width, vertical channel(radar_beam_width_v)
• ray_target_fixed_angle(fixed_angle)
• Time index of last ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_end_ray_index)
• Radar constant, horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_radar_constant_h)
• data_volume_index_number(volume_number)
• Beam Elevation Angle(elevation)
• Polarization mode(polarization_mode)
• East longitude(longitude)
• Time offset from base_time(time_offset)
• Time of the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_time)
• Primary axis of rotation(primary_axis)
• altitude(altitude)
• pulse_repetition_frequency(prt)
• North latitude(latitude)
• data_volume_start_time_utc(time_coverage_start)
• time_in_seconds_since_volume_start(time)
• Transmit power(r_calib_xmit_power_h)
• Radar constant, vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_radar_constant_v)

• Beam Elevation Angle(elevation)
• Locator Mask for Spectra(locator_mask)
• time_in_seconds_since_volume_start(time)
• reflectivity(reflectivity)
• Azimuth of Radar Ray(azimuth)
• Doppler spectrum width (second moment of the doppler spectrum)(spectral_width)
• lon(lon)
• -180.0 - +180.0(alt)
• Signal-to-noise ratio(signal_to_noise_ratio)
• North Latitude(lat)
• Spectra(spectra)
• Spectral velocity bins(velocity_bins)
• Mean doppler velocity(mean_doppler_velocity)
• Distance to the center of the corresponding range bin(range)
• Time offset from base_time(time_offset)
• base time in epoch(base_time)

• Nominal radar antenna gain, v channel(radar_antenna_gain_v)
• altitude(altitude)
• Radar constant, horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_radar_constant_h)
• Sweep number, zero-based count(sweep_number)
• Scan rate, positive for clockwise or increasing elevation(scan_rate)
• Radar constant, vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_radar_constant_v)
• data_volume_start_time_utc(time_coverage_start)
• Cross-polar propagation phase shift(cross_polar_differential_phase)
• Nominal radar antenna gain, h channel(radar_antenna_gain_h)
• Noise power in noise source region for vertical cross-polar channel(r_calib_noise_source_power_v)
• Distance to the center of the corresponding range bin(range)
• Noise power in noise source region for horizontal copolar channel 1(r_calib_noise_source_power_h)
• Time index of last ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_end_ray_index)
• radar_calibration_two_way_radome_loss_h_channel(r_calib_two_way_radome_loss_h)
• pulse_repetition_frequency(prt)
• Number of samples used to compute moments(n_samples)
• base time in epoch(base_time)
• Signal-to-noise-ratio(snr)
• Radar measured transmit power, h channel(radar_measured_transmit_power_h)
• Linear depolarization ratio(linear_depolarization_ratio)
• lon(lon)
• Sky power, cross-polar(sky_power_xpol)
• ray_target_fixed_angle(fixed_angle)
• Polarization mode(polarization_mode)
• Mean doppler velocity(mean_doppler_velocity)
• platform_type(platform_type)
• time_in_seconds_since_volume_start(time)
• Index for the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_index)
• antenna_is_in_transition_between_sweeps(antenna_transition)
• Transmit power(r_calib_xmit_power_h)
• Follow mode(follow_mode)
• half_power_radar_beam_width_h_channel(radar_beam_width_h)
• type_of_instrument(instrument_type)
• Radar beam width, vertical channel(radar_beam_width_v)
• Noise floor power for horizontal copolar channel1(r_calib_noise_hc)
• data_volume_index_number(volume_number)
• radiation_frequency(frequency)
• Noise flor for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_noise_vx)
• Doppler spectrum width (second moment of the doppler spectrum)(spectral_width)
• Sky noise, cross-polarization(sky_noise_xpol)
• -180.0 - +180.0(alt)
• Time of the calibration that applies to each ray(r_calib_time)
• North latitude(latitude)
• Azimuth of Radar Ray(azimuth)
• Copol to cross-polar correlation coefficient (also known as rhocx)(co_to_crosspol_correlation_coeff)
• reflectivity(reflectivity)
• North Latitude(lat)
• calibrated_radar_receiver_gain_v_co_polar_channel(r_calib_receiver_gain_hc)
• Time corresponding to last radial in file(time_coverage_end)
• Scan mode for sweep(sweep_mode)
• Sky power, copolar(sky_power_copol)
• transmit_pulse_mode(prt_mode)
• Time offset from base_time(time_offset)
• Beam Elevation Angle(elevation)
• Primary axis of rotation(primary_axis)
• Receiver gain for vertical cross-polar channel 2(r_calib_receiver_gain_vx)
• Index of first ray in sweep, 0-based(sweep_start_ray_index)
• Unambiguous Doppler velocity(nyquist_velocity)
• Pulse width for this calibration(r_calib_pulse_width)
• Sky noise, copolar(sky_noise_copol)
• Unambiguous range(unambiguous_range)
• altitude_above_ground_level(altitude_agl)
• Pulse width(pulse_width)
• East longitude(longitude)