Background covariance of atmospheric duct properties based on ensembles

In Refractivity Data Fusion (RDF), the Cartesian representation of refractivity calculated from the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) output is mapped into a set of 2-dimensional diagnostic variables which are surfaces over the NWP domain. The diagnostic parameters (e.g. duct base height, duct strength, duct thickness, evaporation duct height) include those generated by electromagnetic (EM) inverse problem solutions (e.g. refractivity-from-clutter or RFC). RDF produces an analysis of refractivity in the diagnostic space which is then mapped back into Cartesian coordinates for consumption in EM propagation assessment tools used by the Navy to gauge operational sensor performance. A companion presentation describes RDF in more detail.