Theme: Moving Forward with Risk Reduction for Cost Effective Service Improvements

The conference will be held at the National Weather Center, on the Oklahoma University Campus, Norman, OK, from Tuesday afternoon November 17, 2009 through Thursday afternoon, November 19, 2009. Format will be a keynote address, followed by a series of panels and invited speakers from government, academia, and the commercial sector. For those interested in learning the basics of Phased Array Radar (PAR) technology or just needing a refresher, a short course will offered the morning of November 17. Besides presentations, there will be an exhibit area for industries to present the latest PAR technology as well as a time for evening ice breakers. Following adjournment of the symposium at noon on November 19, tours of the National Weather Radar Testbed will be offered.

For directions to the National Weather Center Click Here or for a Google Maps link Click Here.

For more information on the National Weather Center go to: http://nwc.ou.edu/index.php. This facility is WiFi equipped, with ample parking, an ATM machine, and limited dining facilities.

Symposium Objectives:

• Review MPAR risk-reduction implementation strategy
• Discuss MPAR multifuncationality with respect to agency needs, priorities, and principles of operation
• Review the progress of MPAR-related research and development
• Highlight potential service improvements with respect to air surveillance, weather, and other mission enhancement opportunities
• Explore the challenges to delivering a cost-effective phased array radar capability
• Discuss way ahead and next steps
  

Desired Participants

• Federal, state, and local agencies
• University researchers and federal cooperative institutes
• Radar industry partners
• Congressional delegations
  

Particulars

A $85 registration fee will cover 2 continental breakfasts, 1 catered lunch, 2 evening receptions and refreshments during breaks. For other meals limited food services are available at the NWC. The commercial exhibitor fee ($250) includes registration for one person, exhibit furniture (chairs, tables), pipe and drape, and 110V power outlets. Free WiFi connectivity is available throughout the NWC. Rooms at special rates are blocked at two local hotels for symposium participants.

Background:

Our Nation’s legacy radar systems are aging and will need replacement in the next 10-20 years. MPAR offers the most significant new technological capability to address both current and anticipated radar needs and gaps, as well as a single technological pathway. Given its versatility and adaptive scanning capability, MPAR shows real promise to cost-effectively address a wide array of national surveillance needs:

• Air Traffic Management. Back-up to the Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), a crucial compent of the nation’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), will provide continuity of operations in the event of a Global Positioning System problem or other ADS-B-related failure.
• Aircraft Surveillance (manned and unmanned): National and homeland security needs the capability to detect and track all airborne objects over the U.S., cooperative or otherwise.
• Severe Weather: Hazardous weather—such as tornadoes, hail storms, and microbursts—are small-scale phenomena. Finer radar resolution and more rapid updates will provide immediate benefits and will allow the dissection of the inner dynamics of these phenomena and pave the way for improved forecasting. Additionally, to evolve from “Warn on Observation” (12-14 minute leadtime) to “Warn on Forecast” (up to 60 minute leadtime) will require highly resolved vector wind fields from radar to feed storm-scale weather models. MPAR has potential to provide this requisite level of data.
• Flood forecasting and Water Resource Management. Better Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPFs) for floods, and Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPEs) for water resource management and drought predictions both require improved precipitation data from radar over large areas.
• Aviation Weather. Better characterization of hazardous weather (e.g., convection, icing, wind shear) will support NextGen objectives to increase capacity, improve safety, and lower costs.
• Wildfires, Volcanic Ash, Atmospheric Chemical/Biological Release: Safe and effective operations and timely emergency response requires real-time observation of weather elements and detection of threat constituents to support threat characterization and impact predictions.
  

This symposium will also highlight the social and economic benefits offered through the use of phased array radar technology. MPAR’s ability to provide cost-effective service improvements and address mission gaps must be understood through risk-reduction research and development activities, and these activities will also be discussed at the symposium.

For further information about the Conference contact:

Conference Registration:
Dee Anne Holcomb
800-203-5494

Conference Agenda:
Jud Stailey
judson.stailey@noaa.gov

Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology
8455 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: 301-427-2002; Fax: 301-427-2007