WG2: Improvement of Weather Radar Data Quality and Validation of Biological-classification Algorithms

Working group leader: Felix Liechti

WG2 will provide data from groups currently monitoring aerial movement to ‘ground-truth’ (i.e. calibrate) the biological aspects of the weather radar data, and to validate the biological-classification algorithms produced in WG1.

WG2 will coordinate and stimulate cross-calibrations of different dedicated biological radars and the weather radar network, with respect to their capabilities of detecting and classifying a broad range of animal taxa in the aerosphere (insects, birds and bats). This knowledge will form the basis of the evaluation of the suite of biological classification algorithms by WG1.

They will first link research groups to conduct comparative analysis of pre-existing data from dedicated biological radars (for birds and insects), and pre-existing data from operational weather radars that is believed to represent various biological targets (birds and insects).

Then they will create a platform for the organization of a cross-calibration measurement campaign, involving the simultaneous deployment of multiple remote sensors within the sensed volume of an operational dual-polarisation weather radar. The remote sensors to be deployed will include as many existing systems as possible (e.g. air traffic surveillance radar, ornithological radar, entomological radar, thermal imaging equipment, LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging), acoustics for flight call identification, etc.).

And finally they will assure and evaluate validation of the first roll-out of the ‘refined bird-algorithm’ across the weather radar network, and investigate the potential of the more advanced classification-algorithms to produce high-quality quantitative data on the complete set of potential target animals.