Real Time Range-Time Plots

Select Radar:

Select Beam #:

Select Parameter:

Saskatoon

Radar Control Program :	N/A
Radar Frequency (kHz) :	N/A
Range Separation (km) :	N/A
Nave :	N/A
Sky Noise (dB) :	N/A
Time (UTC) :	N/A

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UTC* Time (HH:MM)

Ground Range Axis**

*The time zone of your browser is UTC hours.

Further Information

Warning: Some Radar Control Programs (CPIDs) make repeated beam measurements or skip beams, and as such data may be available but may not be suitable for interpretations via a range-time plot. To learn more about CPIDs click here.
Our real time fan plots may be of more use during these times, they can be found on our real time fan plot page.
The plotting tool is not suitable for publication.

** Ground range is calculated by adding the distance to the middle of the first range gate to the Range Separation value multiplied by the range gate number. This value is a rough estimate of the distance of the ionospheric echoes. Slant range can be calculated from the data once it is available and should be used to better estimate distance. The ground range axis is plotted when new data is received, hence if the range separation changes in the previous two hours, the axis is only true for the most recent data.

About This Tool

The real time range-time plot above shows the most recent two hours of data from the selected radar and beam for range gates 0 - 75. 15 radars out of the 35+ have real time capabilities, including all 5 of SuperDARN Canada's radars. On occasion, internet connection and real time links can fail, and at those times the real time plots will be unavailable for the radar experiencing issues.

Note: This tool is best viewed on a large screen or landscape device.

Velocity

Plasma drift velocity along the beam direction. Blue shows plasma moving towards the radar and red shows plasma moving away from the radar. Ground scatter can be detected using the SNR and spectral width and is colored grey. Measured in meters per second.

Signal to Noise Ratio

Ratio of the radar echo power (signal) to that of the atmospheric noise measured in decibels.

Spectral Width

Larger spectral width usually indicates more perturbed plasma. However a very small spectral width may indicate reflection of the radar beam from the ground. Measured in meters per second.

Elevation

The angle at which the returning radar echo is approaching the radar above the horizon. Measured in degrees.

Previous Data

Daily overview plots of the above parameters can be found here. These summary plots are made once the data files are processed and as such may take a few days to appear on the website. The data files themselves can be found here for SuperDARN Canada managed radars. See our Data Info page for more information regarding other institutions data policies and access.