Abstract

SRI International purchased a mid-size twin-engine Queen Air aircraft in 1979 for use in laser remote sensing studies of the atmosphere. Early studies employed the Airborne Lidar Plume and Haze Analyzer (ALPHA-1) 0.53 and 1.06 μm wavelength 35-cm aperature downward-viewing system to investigate boundary layer structure, transport and diffusion of industrial plumes, and particle size of aerosol pollution.¹ The ALPHA-1 was also used to observe fluorescent dye particles released into the atmosphere. The particles were excited with 0.53 μm wavelength energy and detected by their fluorescence at 0.6 μm wavelength. Dis crimination of fluorescent particles from other particles provided the means to track air volumes over long downwind distances (≈400 km) and extensive travel times (≈8 hours).² Recently, the ALPHA-2 was used to evaluate the transport and diffusion of the smoke plume resulting from burning of oil on a water surface. Burning of oil may be the best method of achieving rapid environmental recovery of spilled oil, but the consequences of combustion products released into the atmosphere must be considered. The results of three oil-burn tests demonstrate that the downwind near-surface plume concentrations are greatly dependent on meteorological conditions.

© 1995 IEEE