Development and Application of a Compact, Tunable, Solid-State Airborne Ozone Lidar System for Boundary Layer Profiling

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1258-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Alvarez ◽  
C. J. Senff ◽  
A. O. Langford ◽  
A. M. Weickmann ◽  
D. C. Law ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Laser Source ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Lidar System ◽  
Advanced Analysis

Abstract The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Earth System Research Laboratory/Chemical Sciences Division (NOAA/ESRL/CSD) has developed a versatile, airborne lidar system for measuring ozone and aerosols in the boundary layer and lower free troposphere. The Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and Ozone (TOPAZ) lidar was deployed aboard a NOAA Twin Otter aircraft during the Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS 2006) and the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex 2010) field campaigns. TOPAZ is capable of measuring ozone concentrations in the lower troposphere with uncertainties of several parts per billion by volume at 90-m vertical and 600-m horizontal resolution from an aircraft flying at 60 m s−1. The system also provides uncalibrated aerosol backscatter profiles at 18-m vertical and 600-m horizontal resolution. TOPAZ incorporates state-of-the-art technologies, including a cerium-doped lithium calcium aluminum fluoride (Ce:LiCAF) laser, to make it compact and lightweight with low power consumption. The tunable, three-wavelength UV laser source makes it possible to optimize the wavelengths for differing atmospheric conditions, reduce the interference from other atmospheric constituents, and implement advanced analysis techniques. This paper describes the TOPAZ lidar, its components and performance during testing and field operation, and the data analysis procedure, including a discussion of error sources. The performance characteristics are illustrated through a comparison between TOPAZ and an ozonesonde launched during the TexAQS 2006 field campaign. A more comprehensive set of comparisons with in situ measurements during TexAQS 2006 and an assessment of the TOPAZ accuracy and precision are presented in a companion paper.

Airborne Lidar Plume and Haze Analyzer (ALPHA-1)

1980 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
pp. 1035-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward E. Uthe ◽  
Norman B. Nielsen ◽  
Walter L. Jimison
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Particle Concentration ◽  
Layer Structure ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Test Program ◽  
Lidar System ◽  
Four Corners ◽  
Terrain Features

A new two-wavelength airborne lidar system has been constructed and field-tested. The system was designed to observe the distribution of particle concentrations over large regional areas. During a one-week field-test program, the system was used to observe boundary layer structure over the Los Angeles area and the downwind structure of particulate plumes from the Navajo (Page, Ariz.) and Four Corners (Farmington, N.Mex.) power plants. Data examples presented show the importance of terrain features in influencing particle concentration distributions over regional areas.

A High-Resolution Modeling Study of the 24 May 2002 Dryline Case during IHOP. Part I: Numerical Simulation and General Evolution of the Dryline and Convection

2006 ◽  
Vol 134 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Xue ◽  
William J. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Initial Condition ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Convective Initiation ◽  
Deep Moist Convection ◽  
Localized Forcing

Abstract Results from a high-resolution numerical simulation of the 24 May 2002 dryline convective initiation (CI) case are presented. The simulation uses a 400 km × 700 km domain with a 1-km horizontal resolution grid nested inside a 3-km domain and starts from an assimilated initial condition at 1800 UTC. Routine as well as special upper-air and surface observations collected during the International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) are assimilated into the initial condition. The initiation of convective storms at around 2015 UTC along a section of the dryline south of the Texas panhandle is correctly predicted, as is the noninitiation of convection at a cold-front–dryline intersection (triple point) located farther north. The timing and location of predicted CI are accurate to within 20 min and 25 km, respectively. The general evolution of the predicted convective line up to 6 h of model time also verifies well. Mesoscale convergence associated with the confluent flow around the dryline is shown to produce an upward moisture bulge, while surface heating and boundary layer mixing are responsible for the general deepening of the boundary layer. These processes produce favorable conditions for convection but the actual triggering of deep moist convection at specific locations along the dryline depends on localized forcing. Interaction of the primary dryline convergence boundary with horizontal convective rolls on its west side provides such localized forcing, while convective eddies on the immediate east side are suppressed by a downward mesoscale dryline circulation. A companion paper analyzes in detail the exact processes of convective initiation along this dryline.

scholarly journals Lidar characterization of the Arctic atmosphere during ASTAR 2007: four cases studies of boundary layer, mixed-phase and multi-layer clouds

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2847-2866 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lampert ◽  
C. Ritter ◽  
A. Hoffmann ◽  
J.-F. Gayet ◽  
G. Mioche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Raman Lidar ◽  
Tropospheric Aerosol

Abstract. During the Arctic Study of Tropospheric Aerosol, Clouds and Radiation (ASTAR), which was conducted in Svalbard in March and April 2007, tropospheric Arctic clouds were observed with two ground-based backscatter lidar systems (micro pulse lidar and Raman lidar) and with an airborne elastic lidar. In the time period of the ASTAR 2007 campaign, an increase in low-level cloud cover (cloud tops below 2.5 km) from 51% to 65% was observed above Ny-Ålesund. Four different case studies of lidar cloud observations are analyzed: With the ground-based Raman lidar, a layer of spherical particles was observed at an altitude of 2 km after the dissolution of a cloud. The layer probably consisted of small hydrated aerosol (radius of 280 nm) with a high number concentration (around 300 cm−3) at low temperatures (−30 °C). Observations of a boundary layer mixed-phase cloud by airborne lidar and concurrent airborne in situ and spectral solar radiation sensors revealed the localized process of total glaciation at the boundary of different air masses. In the free troposphere, a cloud composed of various ice layers with very different optical properties was detected by the Raman lidar, suggesting large differences of ice crystal size, shape and habit. Further, a mixed-phase double layer cloud was observed by airborne lidar in the free troposphere. Local orography influenced the evolution of this cloud. The four case studies revealed relations of cloud properties and specific atmospheric conditions, which we plan to use as the base for numerical simulations of these clouds.

scholarly journals The potential for geostationary remote sensing of NO<sub>2</sub> to improve weather prediction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueling Liu ◽  
Arthur P. Mizzi ◽  
Jeffrey L. Anderson ◽  
Inez Fung ◽  
Ronald C. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Layer Height ◽  
Boundary Layer Height

Abstract. Observations of winds in the planetary boundary layer remain sparse making it challenging to simulate and predict atmospheric conditions that are most important for describing and predicting urban air quality. Short-lived chemicals are observed as plumes whose location is affected by boundary layer winds and with a lifetime affected by boundary layer height and mixing. Here we investigate the application of data assimilation of NO2 columns as will be observed from geostationary orbit to improve predictions and retrospective analysis of wind fields in the boundary layer.

scholarly journals Urban aerosol chemistry at a land-water transition site during summer – Part 1: Impact of agricultural and industrial ammonia emissions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Balasus ◽  
Michael A. Battaglia ◽  
Katherine Ball ◽  
Vanessa Caicedo ◽  
Ruben Delgado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Urban Air Quality ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Aerosol Chemistry ◽  
Industrial Sources ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Land Water

Abstract. This study characterizes the impact of the Chesapeake Bay and associated meteorological phenomena on aerosol chemistry during the second Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study (OWLETS-2) field campaign during summer 2018. Measurements of inorganic PM2.5 composition, gas-phase ammonia (NH3), and an array of meteorological parameters were undertaken at Hart-Miller Island (HMI), a land-water transition site just east of downtown Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay. The observations at HMI were characterized by abnormally high NH3 concentrations (maximum of 19.3 μg m-3, average of 3.83 μg m-3), which were more than a factor of three higher than NH3 levels measured at the closest Atmospheric Ammonia Network (AMoN) site (approximately 45 km away). While sulfate concentrations at HMI agreed quite well with those measured at a regulatory monitoring station 45 km away, aerosol ammonium and nitrate concentrations were significantly higher, due to the ammonia-rich conditions that resulted from the elevated NH3. The high NH3 concentrations were largely due to regional agricultural emissions, including dairy farms in southeastern Pennsylvania and poultry operations in the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia). Reduced NH3 deposition during transport over the Chesapeake Bay likely contributed to enhanced concentrations at HMI compared to the more inland AMoN site. Several peak NH3 events were recorded, including the maximum NH3 observed during OWLETS-2, that appear to originate from a cluster of industrial sources near downtown Baltimore. Such events were all associated with nighttime emissions and advection to HMI under low 15 wind speeds (< 1 m s-1) and stable atmospheric conditions. Our results demonstrate the importance of industrial sources, including several that are not represented in the emissions inventory, on urban air quality. Together with our companion paper, which examines aerosol liquid water and pH during OWLETS-2, we highlight unique processes affecting urban air quality of coastal cities that are distinct from continental locations.

scholarly journals The potential for geostationary remote sensing of NO<sub>2</sub> to improve weather prediction

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 9573-9583
Author(s):  
Xueling Liu ◽  
Arthur P. Mizzi ◽  
Jeffrey L. Anderson ◽  
Inez Fung ◽  
Ronald C. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Layer Height ◽  
Boundary Layer Height

Abstract. Observations of winds in the planetary boundary layer remain sparse making it challenging to simulate and predict atmospheric conditions that are most important for describing and predicting urban air quality. Short-lived chemicals are observed as plumes whose location is affected by boundary layer winds and whose lifetime is affected by boundary layer height and mixing. Here we investigate the application of data assimilation of NO2 columns as will be observed from geostationary orbit to improve predictions and retrospective analysis of wind fields in the boundary layer.

scholarly journals Comparison between the TOPAZ Airborne Ozone Lidar and In Situ Measurements during TexAQS 2006

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1243-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. O. Langford ◽  
C. J. Senff ◽  
R. J. Alvarez ◽  
R. M. Banta ◽  
R. M. Hardesty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nonlinear Behavior ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Lidar System ◽  
Empirical Correction ◽  
Houston Ship Channel ◽  
Very High

Abstract The NOAA airborne ozone lidar system [Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and Ozone (TOPAZ)] is compared with the fast-response chemiluminescence sensor flown aboard the NOAA WP-3D during the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS). TOPAZ measurements made from the NOAA Twin Otter, flying at an altitude of ~3300 m MSL in the Houston, Texas, area on 31 August, and the Dallas, Texas, area on 13 September, show that the overall uncertainty in the 10-s (~600-m horizontal resolution) TOPAZ profiles is dominated by statistical uncertainties (1σ) of ~8 ppbv (6%–10%) at ranges of ~2300 m from the aircraft (~1000 m MSL), and ~11–27 ppbv (12%–30%) at ranges of ~2800 m (~500 m MSL). These uncertainties are substantially reduced by spatial averaging, and the averages of 11 profiles (of 110 s or 6.6-km horizontal resolution) at ~1000 m MSL are in excellent agreement (±2%) with the in situ measurements at ~500 m MSL. The TOPAZ measurements at lower altitudes on 31 August exhibit a negative bias of up to ~15%, however, when the lidar signals were strongly attenuated by very high ozone levels in the plume from the Houston Ship Channel. This bias appears to result from nonlinear behavior in the TOPAZ signal amplifiers, which is described in the companion paper by Alvarez et al. An empirical correction is presented.

scholarly journals Inference of Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer Moisture and Temperature Structure Using Airborne Lidar and Infrared Radiometer Data

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen P. Palm ◽  
Denise Hagan ◽  
Geary Schwemmer ◽  
S. H. Melfi
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Atmospheric Boundary Layer ◽  
Potential Temperature ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer ◽  
Space Technology ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Moisture ◽  
Infrared Radiometer

Abstract A new technique for retrieving near-surface moisture and profiles of mixing ratio and potential temperature through the depth of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) using airborne lidar and multichannel infrared radiometer data is presented. Data gathered during an extended field campaign over the Atlantic Ocean in support of the Lidar In-space Technology Experiment are used to generate 16 moisture and temperature retrievals that are then compared with dropsonde measurements. The technique utilizes lidar-derived statistics on the height of cumulus clouds that frequently cap the MABL to estimate the lifting condensation level. Combining this information with radiometer-derived sea surface temperature measurements, an estimate of the near-surface moisture can be obtained to an accuracy of about 0.8 g kg−1. Lidar-derived statistics on convective plume height and coverage within the MABL are then used to infer the profiles of potential temperature and moisture with a vertical resolution of 20 m. The rms accuracy of derived MABL average moisture and potential temperature is better than 1 g kg−1 and 1°C, respectively. The method relies on the presence of a cumulus-capped MABL, and it was found that the conditions necessary for use of the technique occurred roughly 75% of the time. The synergy of simple aerosol backscatter lidar and infrared radiometer data also shows promise for the retrieval of MABL moisture and temperature from space.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document