STRATOSPHERE TROPOSPHERE RADAR FACILITY

The ST (Stratosphere Troposphere) Radar Has Proved To Be A Useful & Versatile Tool For Lower Atmospheric And Ionosphere Studies. Appreciating That The Lower Atmosphere Is The Seat Of Many Interesting Physical Phenomena With Implication To Global Change. University Of Calcutta Is Implementing Eastern And North Eastern India’s First ST Radar At 53MHz At The Ionosphere Field Station. Haringhata Located About 50 Km North-East Of The City

History

Prof. S. K. Mitra was one
of the first in the world
to suggest use of HF
atmospheric radars with
his observations in 1935
The first experimental evidence of E layer predicted by Heaviside and Kennely was obtained by Mitra and Rakshit in 1930.
His seminal book ‘The Upper Atmosphere’ Has been considered a Bible for researchers in the field.

Objectives

To Study the dynamics of the Tropopause and Stratosphere Troposphere exchange.
To study the convection process in the Troposphere
To characterize rain structure based on the radar signatures of the precipitating Layers
To study lower atmospheric turbulence
To Study Gravity Waves and planetary scale waves and there effects on the upper atmosphere.
To study Ionosphere E and F region irregularities

Configuration

Fully active phased array having 475 3-Element Yagi antennas with 25 sub-array.
Each sub-array containing 19 TRMs; Each TRM transmitting a peak power of 2KW at 53MHz with a band width of 3 MHz
Unique facility at this frequency in the entire eastern and northest India & in the Southest Asian longitute Sector
Radar area spread over 7000 sq.m. and Radar spread over 8 acres

Developed as a National Facility remote access Capability

First Radar

First Radar around 50MHz in an Indian University.
Only Radar at this Frequency

Only Radar at this frequency in the eastern and north eastern parts of India and South-East Asian longitude
Digital Receiver

Only radar in India with 25-channel Digital Receiver
Remote Access

Only Radar in India with remote access

Uniqueness of the Radar site

The location of this radar is situated at the verge of the transition region between the tropics and subtropics, and near the northern crest of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA).

Uniqueness of the Radar

The ST Radar at Ionosphere Field Station (22.93°N, 88.50°E geographic; magnetic dip: 36.2°N), is the only radar at this frequency(53MHz) in the entire Eastern and North-Eastern India as well as South-East Asian longitude sector First 53MHz active phased-array Radar in an Indian University and the 3rd such Radar in India