AGS-CIF: Doppler On Wheels Network and Ruggedized Array of Pods/Poles (DOWNET)

The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) operates the Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF) program to enhance the scientific community’s access to instrumentation that is otherwise too costly or complicated to operate for most institutions. This award is for two Doppler on Wheels mobile radars and an array of surface weather stations, known as DOWNET.

Mobile Doppler radars are used to study a variety of societally-impactful topics, from tornadoes to snowfall. The DOWNET instruments will also be used to teach younger generations through outreach events and hands-on training.

The DOWNET facility consists of two mobile, dual-polarization, dual-frequency, Doppler X-band radars and an array of surface- and pole-based deployable weather stations. The DOWNET facility is available for studies of severe and high impact weather, convective initiation, storm transitions and upscale growth, winter storms, orographic precipitation, precipitation microphysics, hydrological processes, tornado and hurricane structure, weather modification validation/refutation, fire weather, land use impacts, and more.

DOWNET can be used in mobile or fixed mode. DOWNET is also available for outreach and/or educational purposes.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.