A Versatile 205 MHz Stratosphere–Troposphere Radar at Cochin – Scientific Applications

A state-of-the-art, indigenously developed, and the world’s first 205 MHz stratosphere–troposphere (ST) wind profiler radar installed at the Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, with the support of Science Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, is introduced in this article. This radar provides a cost-effective and high precision technology capable of monitoring in all weather conditions round the clock. Its primary goal is to understand the characteristics of the Indian summer monsoon at its gateway at Cochin. Brief technical details and the validation of radar data with the colocated GPS radiosonde observations are mentioned. Applications of the ST radar data for various studies of atmospheric, ionospheric and radio astronomical features are discussed. Cochin ST Radar is open to all researchers from national institutes, universities and other academic institutions for conducting regular as well as special experimental campaigns, based on their scientific proposals.