Shane Mayor

NCAR

The Possible Marriage of the Volume Imaging Lidar (VIL) and the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) Techniques at 1.5–microns

Room 811 AOSS, Monday, Jan. 29, 2007, 3:30 PM

Abstract

About five years ago, NCAR began the development of the Raman–shifted Eye–safe Aerosol Lidar (REAL) in order to provide the university community with an eye–safe elastic backscatter lidar.   In some ways, REAL physically resembles the University of Wisconsin's VIL—except that REAL transmits only 5% of the power of the VIL and operates at 1.5–microns wavelength.   In an exciting and unexpected event, the REAL technology was harnessed by the Department of Defense as part of an urban aerosol surveillance system.    Subsequently, backscatter polarization sensitivity was added.  What appeared to be a straightforward enhancement became a rather major upgrade.  Fortunately, DOD's interest in detecting biological aerosol plumes helped make polarization sensitivity an interesting and worthwhile investment.    Moreover, because both atmospheric research and national security communities have an interest in calibrated aerosol backscatter, we have a plan for trying the HSRL technique at 1.5–microns.  A proof–of–concept demonstration is currently being prepared at NCAR.  We anticipate that future operational REALs will provide time-lapse animations of calibrated aerosol backscatter and atmospheric structure.