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<br />RADAR <br /> <br />Weather radar systems are used to assist the field personnel <br />in conducting efficient, safe operations and determining <br />position, growth, and movement of cloud systems. The weather <br />radar used in South Dakota are capable of detecting precipita- <br />tion particles (drizzle, rain, snow, hailstones, etc.) larger <br />than 1/16 Inch in diameter. Most non-precipitating clouds are <br />composed of cloud droplets mu.ch smaller than this. It is thus <br />the precipitation rather than the cloud which the radar detects. <br /> <br />""I <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br /> <br />... . <br />. <br /> <br />.'" <br /> <br />, <br /> <br /> <br />,--- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />i ~.g. .b'l,., <br /> <br /> <br />The circular, six foot "dish" antenna detects the precipitation. The <br />horizontal "bar" antenna tracks aircraft. Both the precipitation echo <br />and the radar position appear on a picture tube (above, right) of the <br />radar. It is important to know where the aircraft are, especially when <br />seeding storms at night. - <br /> <br />16 <br />