Cloud Profiling Radar

The cloud profiling radar (CPR) is a satellite-based weather radar that the distance of the cloud cover in the troposphere measures of the satellite altitude.

Normal weather radar devices can only detect clouds to a limited extent. They mostly only recognize the precipitation falling from the clouds or the larger water droplets already present in a cloud.

The CPR works at an extremely high frequency of 93  GHz and can therefore also recognize lighter clouds and aerosols from the satellite position. It processes a dynamic range of 70  dB with a calibrated accuracy of 1.5 dB. The sensitivity of the radar emitting vertically downwards is measured by the smallest possible detectable reflectivity of −30 dBZ.