Home to the MAPNet (Mobile Atmospheric Profiling Network), SWIRLL has 7 main mobile and two stationary platforms dedicated to understanding severe weather, the boundary layer, and winter weather. These platforms are operated by UAH faculty, staff, and students. Each platform takes part in different research projects throughout the year including severe weather, winter weather, hurricane landfalls, winter weather research, and boundary layer studies. Many of these studies are performed right here in Alabama as was done during the VORTEX-SE campaign.
Each platform contains an array of radars, surface instruments, radiometers, and lidars that are used to gather important information about the atmosphere. Instruments can be removed or added to platforms to make measurements flexible. Click on the links below to check out our platforms! To see a list all of our instruments, including the instruments mounted on each platform, click here!
- The Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS)
- The Mobile Alabama X-Band Radar Truck (MAX)
- The Rapidly Deployable Profiling System (RaDAPS)
- The Mobile Operated Doppler Lidar System (MODLS)
- The Mobile Meteorological Mesonet Vehicle (M3V)
- The Advanced Radar For Meteorological and Operational Research (ARMOR)
- Surface Measurements Platforms
- Atmospheric Soundings