Installation of X-Band Radar

• 18 Oct 2024

Source: TH

Why in News?

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

What are Key Facts About X-Band Radars? 

• About Radar: Radar is a device that uses radio waves to detect and locate objects by measuring the reflection of the waves.  
  • Radar stands for radio detection and ranging. 
• Working of Radar: The radar device comprises a transmitter that emits a signal aimed at an object whose characteristics are to be ascertained (e.g., cloud in meteorology).  
  • A part of the emitted signal is echoed by the object back to the device, where a receiver tracks and analyses it. 
• Applications in Meteorology: Doppler radars (weather radar) reveal how fast a cloud is moving and in which direction based on the cloud’s relative motion changes the frequency of the radiation striking it. 
  • A Pulse-Doppler radar can measure the intensity of rainfall by emitting radiation in pulses and tracking how often they’re reflected to the receiver. 
  • Doppler effect is the change in frequency of sound waves as their source moves towards and away from a listener.  
  • Doppler radars rely on Rayleigh scattering in which light or other electromagnetic radiation is scattered by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the light. 
  • Modern Doppler radars can monitor weather conditions and anticipate new wind patterns, the formation of storms, etc. 
• X-Band Radar: An X-band radar is radar that emits radiation in the X-band of the electromagnetic spectrum (8-12 GHz) corresponding to wavelengths of around 2-4 cm (this is in the microwave part of the spectrum.) 
  • It uses radiation of lower wavelengths to observe smaller particles like rain droplets or fog. 
  • The smaller wavelengths allow the radar to produce images of higher resolution but X-band radars have a relatively shorter range. 
• Role of X-Band Radar in Wayanad: It will monitor soil particle movements, assisting in the issuance of landslide warnings. 
  • It will conduct high temporal sampling, allowing for rapid detection of changes in particle movement over brief periods. 

 

How many radars does India have? 

• Historical Context: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) began using radar for weather in the early 1950s.  
  • In 1970, it installed the first indigenously designed X-band storm detection radar in New Delhi. By 1996, IMD upgraded 10 outdated X-band radars to digital versions. 
• Types of Radar Network: In its X-band radar network, India has both wind-finding and storm-detecting radars, and some with dual capabilities.  
  • India also uses S-band radars (2-4 GHz) for long-range detection.  
  • The first S-band cyclone detection radar was installed in Visakhapatnam in 1970 and the first locally made variant was commissioned in Mumbai in 1980.  
• Recent Initiatives: As of September 2024, India plans to install 56 additional Doppler radars, part of the Rs 2,000-crore Mission Mausam initiative aimed at enhancing meteorological infrastructure by 2026. 
  • The government is also in the process of acquiring and installing 10 X-band Doppler radars in northeastern states and Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district. 
  • A C-band radar (4-8 GHz) with an observational range of 250 km will be installed in Mangaluru. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims: 

Q.Consider the following phenomena: (2013) 

1. Size of the sun at dusk
2. Colour of the sun at dawn
3. Moon being visible at dawn
4. Twinkle of stars in the sky
5. Polestar being visible in the sky

Which of the above are optical illusions? 

(a) 1, 2 and 3  

(b) 3, 4 and 5 

(c) 1, 2 and 4  

(d) 2, 3 and 5 

Ans: (c)