Doppler radar is primarily used to detect what at airports?

• A. Altitude of aircraft.
• B. Ground vehicles.
• C. Wind shear and microbursts by measuring velocity of precipitation.
• D. GPS signals.

Answer: (C)

Doppler radar works by detecting the motion of targets through a frequency shift of the returned signal. In aviation weather, that means it measures the velocity of precipitation particles. By mapping how fast and in what direction the rain or snow is moving toward or away from the radar, the system can identify abrupt changes in wind speed and direction—wind shear—and intense, localized downdrafts known as microbursts. These features are critical to detect near runways because they can drastically affect an aircraft’s approach or departure, so Doppler radar is used primarily to warn about wind shear and microbursts. It doesn’t directly measure an aircraft’s altitude, doesn’t target ground vehicles, and isn’t intended to detect GPS signals.