First 3D water-vapor measurements with differential absorption lidar
Authors
Andreas Behrendt — Hohenheim University
Volker G. Wulfmeyer — Hohenheim University
Sandip Pal — University of Virginia
Category
Instruments
Description
First RHI scan of the humidity field around clouds using water-vapor DIAL. Streakline structures around the clouds likely indicate interaction of aerosol-cloud microphysics as well as detrainment and entrainment processes.
We present the first water-vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system that is able to perform 3D measurements. The system is based on a high-power Ti:Sapphire laser transmitter with excellent spectral properties. 3D measurements are realized by simultaneous scans of an 80 cm telescope in so-called Coude configuration in which field-of-view of the laser output is transmitted and fixed by a high-power fiber.
The performance of the system is discussed with respect to vertical pointing and scanning measurements. In vertical pointing mode, a unique combination of spatial and temporal resolutions (15 m, 1 s), respectively, is achieved even during daytime. This permits the investigation of turbulent transport processes in the convective boundary layer with “large-eddy resolution.”
Various PPI and RHI scans demonstrate that the system is capable of studying land-surface exchange processes in heterogeneous terrain as well as detrainment and entrainment processes around clouds.
