MST Radar - Aberystwyth
The Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere (MST) Radar at Aberystwyth is the UK's most powerful and versatile wind-profiling instrument.
The traditional method of measuring the wind is to send a small package of meteorological sensors, known as a radiosonde, up through the air on a helium-filled balloon. These are seldom launched more than twice a day for weather forecasting purposes. By contrast, the MST Radar provides the equivalent of 48 wind measurements a day. It also provides information about atmospheric structure and turbulence.
The MST radar was originally built for atmospheric research, but today it is also used operationally by several European weather forecasting agencies. Moreover, it is one of the few instruments that is able to provide information about the remote mesospheric region. This occurs at altitudes of between approximately 50 and 90 km above the ground.
Last updated: 11 May 2020
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Switchboard: +44 (0)1793 442000
