Doppler Radar Activity
(Theorem 1)
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Doppler Radar Activity

Needed Supplies:  Maps of New York State (or any state) which the students can write on, compass, ruler
Needed Skills:  Map reading, scale interpretation, use of compass and ruler, application of locus. 

    

Locate your Doppler radar weather stations in three cities.  This example uses Oswego, Syracuse and Auburn.  

Set the distances which each station will cover upon a radar scan.  

25 miles from Syracuse
24 miles from Oswego
22 miles from Auburn

A serious winter storm has been located by all three Doppler radar weather stations.  Each weather station's computer reported that the storm had been detected by all three cities, but lost power before a visual representation of the exact location of the storm could be given.  The student's task is to locate the area where the storm is centered on the map.  

Directions:  
1.  Using the map, have each student locate the cities where the weather stations are located.

2.  Using the map scale, the distances of each radar scan, and a compass, the student will draw (to scale) the locus of points on the map representing the radar range of each weather station.

3.  The section on the graph where the three locus circles overlap will be the area where the storm is centered.