Research Summaries

Back Improved Atmospheric Models for Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare

Fiscal Year 2018
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Meteorology
Investigator(s) Frederickson, Paul A.
Sponsor Office of Naval Research (Navy)
Summary The goal of this proposed effort is to improve the accuracy and expand the capabilities of models and databases that characterize atmospheric impacts on electromagnetic and electro-optical (EM/EO) sensors, weapons and communications systems. Ultimately, this goal will directly help to provide U.S. warfighters with the best possible battlespace awareness to optimize Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW) decision making and planning for the current or predicted environmental conditions. These models and databases will be submitted to the CNMOC Oceanic and Atmospheric Master Library (OAML) in order to make fully tested, validated, documented and accredited products available “off the shelf” to U.S. DoD researchers and developers of EM/EO prediction tools and systems as needed.
The specific project objectives are to improve the accuracy, expand the capabilities, further test and validate, fully document and when ready transition to OAML initial or improved versions of the following NPS-developed EM/EO-related products:
• Navy Atmospheric Vertical Surface Layer Model (NAVSLaM), which characterizes the critical evaporation duct and the near-surface optical turbulence (Cn2) conditions from in situ measured or forecasted standard meteorological data.
• Vertical Refractivity Profile Blending Algorithm (VRPBA), which realistically blends near-surface refractivity profiles from NAVSLaM onto the bottom of COAMPS® upper-air refractivity profiles to provide a continuous vertical profile throughout the boundary layer.
• Refractivity Structure Matching Algorithm for Evaporation Ducts (RSMA-ED), which provides more accurate characterization of the horizontally-varying near-surface refractivity conditions at the small range step intervals required by parabolic equation (PE) models.
• Upper-air optical turbulence (Cn2) models and the Cn2 vertical profile blending algorithm, which, together with NAVSLaM Version 2.0, provide continuous vertical profiles of Cn2 from the surface upward through the troposphere, based on NWP model inputs.
• NPS EM/EO climatology databases, including the Evaporation Duct Climatology (EDC), computed by NAVSLaM from gridded reanalysis data, and the Upper-Air Ducting Climatology (UADC), derived from historical rawinsonde data.
Keywords Evaporation Duct Radar electromagnetic and electro-optical propagation laser system performance
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal