A polarimetric Doppler radar time‐series simulator for biological applications

The high mobility of airborne organisms makes them inherently difficult to study, motivating the use of radars and radar networks as biological surveillance tools. While the utility of radar for ecological studies has been demonstrated, a number of challenges remain in expanding and optimizing their use for surveillance of birds, bats and insects. To explore these topics, a Lagrangian simulation scheme has been developed to synthesize realistic, polarimetric, pulsed Doppler radar baseband signals from modelled flocks of biological point scatterers. This radar simulation algorithm is described, and an application is presented using an agent-based model of the nocturnal emergence of a cave-dwelling colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Dualpolarization radar signals for an S-band weather surveillance radar are synthesized and used to develop a new extension of the spectral velocity azimuth display for polarimetric roost-ring signature analysis, demonstrating one capability of this simulation scheme. While these developments will have direct benefits for radar engineers and meteorologists, continuing investment in radar methods such as these will have cascading effects toward improving ecological models and developing new observational techniques for monitoring aerial wildlife.