Abstract

The understanding of many processes in the atmosphere requires accurate determinations of the wind field. Remote measurement of the wind field by a scanning lidar reduces the sampling problems inherent in balloon-borne, tower-supported, or airborne measurements of spatially inhomogeneous or rapidly changing phenomena. In many cases, such as studies of tropical cirrus or stratosphere-troposphere interchanges, remote sensors can measure atmospheric properties at altitudes which cannot be conveniently or economically probed by in situ sensors. The studies of wind flows over complex terrain, air pollution transport, and boundary layer processes all require measurements with good spatial and temporal resolution. Measurement accuracies of ~1 cm/s are needed to study such important phenomena as boundary layer and cirrus cloud convective velocities; turbulent transfer of energy, moisture, and chemical species; and precipitation fall speeds in cirrus. Measurement of fluxes of moisture and chemical species also require accurate knowledge of spatially resolved winds.

© 1991 Optical Society of America