X-band radar

15.10.2024

 X-band radar

 Why in the news?   

After recent devastating floods and landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences approved an X-band radar to be installed in the district.

About X-band radar:

• An X-band radar is a radar that emits radiation in the X-band of the electromagnetic spectrum: 8-12 GHz, corresponding to wavelengths of around 2-4 cm.
• The smaller wavelengths allow the radar to produce images of higher resolution.
• However, the greater the frequency of some radiation, the faster it will be attenuated.

Applications of X-band radar:

○The new radar is expected to be able to monitor the movements of particles, such as soil, to inform landslide warnings.

○The device will also perform high temporal sampling, that is, rapidly sample its environs, allowing it to spot particle movements happening in shorter spans of time.

○These radars are typically used for studies about cloud development and light precipitation due to their ability to detect tiny water particles and snow.

What is Radar?

• Radar is short for ‘radio detection and ranging’.
• The device uses radio waves to determine the distance, velocity and physical characteristics of objects around the device.
• A transmitter emits a signal aimed at an object whose characteristics are to be ascertained (in meteorology, this could be a cloud). A part of the emitted signal is echoed by the object back to the device, where a receiver tracks and analyses it.
• Weather radar, also known as Doppler radar, is a common application of this device. The Doppler effect is the change in the frequency of sound waves as their source moves towards and away from a listener.
• In meteorology, Doppler radars can reveal how fast a cloud is moving and in which direction based on how the cloud’s relative motion changes the frequency of the radiation striking it.
• A pulse-Doppler radar can measure the intensity of, say, rainfall by emitting radiation in pulses and tracking how often they’re reflected to the receiver.
• This way, modern Doppler radars can monitor weather conditions and anticipate new wind patterns, the formation of storms, etc.

                                                                Source: The Hindu

Consider the following statements regarding the X-band radar system:

1. It emits smaller wavelengths which allow the radar to produce images of higher resolution.

2. It is used for studies about cloud development and light precipitation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.1 only

B.2 only

C.Both 1 and 2

D.Neither 1 nor 2

Answer C