User Tools

Site Tools


seasonality_core:map:radar_interference

This is an old revision of the document!


Radar Interference

Occasionally radar images will display features that aren't meteorological in nature. This can be due to animals like bugs and migrating birds, orthographic features such as a mountain range, or even the atmosphere itself! Here are some examples of interference you may see and suggested causes of each.

General block along a radial

Sometimes you will see outward lines radiating away from a radar station. In this image, you can see the CASET radar station showing three outward lines to the north, west, and south. In some instances, you will see this during a sunrise or sunset, when the sun is at the exact angle the radar beam is measuring. However, the image above was captured at night. Instead, there are other things that can affect the radar instrument. Typical causes include radio interference, similar to static you'll hear on a radio. For instance WiFi networks are on a similar frequency band as weather radar. If a mis-configured WiFi network is strong enough, it can overload a scan in its direction from the radar. Taller buildings could block or reflect a radar beam in an unexpected way.

Ground Clutter