Doppler radar

U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission home page

First Doppler radar station.

Doppler Radar

The weather radar system that uses the Doppler shift of radio waves to detect air motion that can result in tornadoes and precipitation. It can also measure the speed and direction of rain and ice, and detect the formation of tornadoes sooner than older radars.

The Doppler effect, or Doppler shift, is the apparent change in frequency of sound or light waves, varying with the relative velocity of the source and the observer. It the source and observer draw closer together, the frequency is increased. It is named for Christian Doppler, an Austrian mathematician and physicist (1803-1853).