Abstract

The Doppler-Rayleigh lidar at the Arecibo Observatory has been in operation since the spring of 1990. Since that time regular measurements have been conducted of the wind structure of the stratosphere and mesosphere above Puerto Rico. At the present time, the lidar is capable of measuring horizontal wind velocities in an altitude range from less than 10 km to nearly 60 km. The main purpose of the upgrade is to extend the upper limit of the Doppler-wind measurements to meet the lower limit of the incoherent scatter radar (ISR). This will be done by the completion of a large telescope and by adding resonance lidar capability. A benefit of the resonance scatter lidar, and one that is certainly not of secondary interest, is to study the density and dynamics of trace species near the mesopause.

© 1993 Optical Society of America