Lidar-measured winds from space: A key component for weather and climate prediction
Abstract
The deployment of a space-based Doppler lidar would provide information that is fundamental to advancing the understanding and prediction of weather and climate. This paper reviews the concepts of wind measurement by Doppler lidar, highlights the results of some observing system simulation experiments with lidar winds, and discusses the important advances in earth system science anticipated with lidar winds. Observing system simulation experiments, conducted using two different general circulation models, have shown (1) that there is a significant improvement in the forecast accuracy over the Southern Hemisphere and tropical oceans resulting from the assimilation of simulated satellite wind data, and (2) that wind data are significantly more effective than temperature or moisture data in controlling analysis error. Because accurate wind observations are currently almost entirely unavailable for the vast majority of tropical cyclones worldwide, lidar winds have the potential to substantially improve tropical cyclone forecasts. Similarly, to improve water vapor flux divergence calculations, a direct measure of the ageostrophic wind is needed since the present level of uncertainty cannot be reduced with better temperature and moisture soundings alone. 99 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.
- Authors:
-
- National Centers for Environmental Prediction, Camp Springs, MD (United States)
- Simpson Weather Associates, Charlottesville, VA (United States)
- NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL (United States); and others
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 90960
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 76; Journal Issue: 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; WEATHER; FORECASTING; WIND; OPTICAL RADAR; LASER DOPPLER ANEMOMETERS; SATELLITES; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; ACCURACY; GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS; SIMULATION
Citation Formats
Baker, W E, Emmitt, G D, and Robertson, F. Lidar-measured winds from space: A key component for weather and climate prediction. United States: N. p., 1995.
Web. doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1995)076<0869:LMWFSA>2.0.CO;2.
Baker, W E, Emmitt, G D, & Robertson, F. Lidar-measured winds from space: A key component for weather and climate prediction. United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1995)076<0869:LMWFSA>2.0.CO;2
Baker, W E, Emmitt, G D, and Robertson, F. 1995.
"Lidar-measured winds from space: A key component for weather and climate prediction". United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1995)076<0869:LMWFSA>2.0.CO;2.
@article{osti_90960,
title = {Lidar-measured winds from space: A key component for weather and climate prediction},
author = {Baker, W E and Emmitt, G D and Robertson, F},
abstractNote = {The deployment of a space-based Doppler lidar would provide information that is fundamental to advancing the understanding and prediction of weather and climate. This paper reviews the concepts of wind measurement by Doppler lidar, highlights the results of some observing system simulation experiments with lidar winds, and discusses the important advances in earth system science anticipated with lidar winds. Observing system simulation experiments, conducted using two different general circulation models, have shown (1) that there is a significant improvement in the forecast accuracy over the Southern Hemisphere and tropical oceans resulting from the assimilation of simulated satellite wind data, and (2) that wind data are significantly more effective than temperature or moisture data in controlling analysis error. Because accurate wind observations are currently almost entirely unavailable for the vast majority of tropical cyclones worldwide, lidar winds have the potential to substantially improve tropical cyclone forecasts. Similarly, to improve water vapor flux divergence calculations, a direct measure of the ageostrophic wind is needed since the present level of uncertainty cannot be reduced with better temperature and moisture soundings alone. 99 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.},
doi = {10.1175/1520-0477(1995)076<0869:LMWFSA>2.0.CO;2},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/90960},
journal = {Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society},
number = 6,
volume = 76,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995},
month = {Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995}
}