Feasibility of tropospheric water vapor profiling using infrared heterodyne differential absorption lidar
- NOAA Environmental Technology Lab., Boulder, CO (United States)
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CU/NOAA)
Continuous, high quality profiles of water vapor, free of systematic bias, and of moderate temporal and spatial resolution, acquired over long periods at low operational and maintenance cost, are fundamental to the success of the ARM CART program. The development and verification of realistic climate model parameterizations for clouds and net radiation balance, and the correction of other CART site sensor observations for interferences due to the presence of water vapor are critically dependent on water vapor profile measurements. Application of profiles acquired with current techniques, have, to date, been limited by vertical resolution and uniqueness of solution [e.g. high resolution infrared (IR) Fourier transform radiometry], poor spatial and temporal coverage and high operating cost (e.g. radiosondes), or diminished daytime performance, lack of eye-safety, and high maintenance cost (e.g. Raman lidar). Recent developments in infrared laser and detector technology make possible compact IR differential absorption lidar (DIAL) systems at eye-safe wavelengths. In the study reported here, we develop DIAL system performance models and examine the potential of to solve some of the shortcomings of previous methods using parameterizations representative of current technologies. These models are also applied to diagnose and evaluate other strengths and weaknesses unique to the DIAL method for this application. This work is to continue in the direction of evaluating yet smaller and lower-cost laser diode-based systems for routine monitoring of the lower altitudes using photon counting detection methods. We regard the present report as interim in nature and will update and extend it as a final report at the end of the term of the contract.
- Research Organization:
- Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO (United States). Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Sciences
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI03-94ER61761
- OSTI ID:
- 48602
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/61761-1; ON: DE95009647; TRN: 95:003779
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 3 Apr 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
PROGRESS REPORT OF FY 2004 ACTIVITIES: IMPROVED WATER VAPOR AND CLOUD RETRIEVALS AT THE NSA/AAO
MicroPulse DIAL (MPD) – a diode-laser-based lidar architecture for quantitative atmospheric profiling