What describes ground clutter in radar displays?

• A. The signal strength of precipitation
• B. Random noise generated by the radar
• C. Unwanted returns from terrain or objects near the radar; mitigated by clutter filters and elevation processing
• D. A calibration error causing false wind data

Answer: (C)

Ground clutter refers to unwanted echoes that come from terrain or objects near the radar, such as mountains, buildings, or trees, and these returns are not precipitation. They show up on the display as extraneous echoes near the ground and can hide or distort real weather signals. Radar systems minimize this by using clutter filters that suppress stationary or very slow-moving echoes and by applying elevation processing, which analyzes returns across different vertical angles to separate ground clutter from true weather echoes. This combination helps reveal actual precipitation more clearly. The other options describe weather signal strength, generic radar noise, or calibration errors, none of which are ground clutter.