THE SMALL MULTI-FUNCTION AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH AND TEACHING SONDE (SMARTSONDE): RELATING IN-SITU MEASUREMENTS OF ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS TO RADAR RETURNS

In-situ measurements of the atmospheric dynamic and thermodynamic state are typically obtained using instrumented towers, balloons, or piloted aircraft. An alternative to these traditional approaches is instrumented unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Here we discuss one such system: the Small Multi-function Autonomous Research and Teaching Sonde (SMARTSonde). The SMARTSonde platform is capable of directly measuring pressure, temperature, and humidity, and retrieving estimates of the horizontal wind vector. The availability of such atmospheric measurements over large spatial domains provides unquestionable value to meteorological studies. Here we discuss the design, development, and initial implementation of the SMARTSonde platform and how observations can be used to complement radar observations of the atmosphere - especially those operating near 50 MHz.