Incoherent Doppler lidar for measurement of atmospheric winds

Wilbert R. Skinner; Paul B. Hays

doi:10.1117/12.187576

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30 September 1994 Incoherent Doppler lidar for measurement of atmospheric winds

Wilbert R. Skinner, Paul B. Hays

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Proceedings Volume 2266, Optical Spectroscopic Techniques and Instrumentation for Atmospheric and Space Research; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.187576
Event: SPIE's 1994 International Symposium on Optics, Imaging, and Instrumentation, 1994, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

A conceptual space-based incoherent Doppler lidar wind measurement system is described. The system employs a Fabry-Perot interferometer to detect the Doppler shift of the backscattered laser line, and uses two channels, one for aerosol and one for molecular backscatter. Previous investigations have considered only the aerosol backscatter as the means to determine the Doppler shift. Several studies have demonstrated that aerosol backscatter, particularly over the oceans and in the southern hemisphere, can be extremely low in the free troposphere. The two channel configuration permits acceptable measurements regardless of the aerosol loading. The system operates in the near UV, which is eye safe and provides a large molecular backscatter. With a 20 Watt laser, 1 meter diameter collecting telescope, and 5 seconds integration time, the horizontal line of sight wind errors would be less than 1 m/s with aerosols typical of a continental loading from the surface to the stratosphere. Areas of low aerosol loading would have errors of about 3 m/s.

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Wilbert R. Skinner and Paul B. Hays "Incoherent Doppler lidar for measurement of atmospheric winds", Proc. SPIE 2266, Optical Spectroscopic Techniques and Instrumentation for Atmospheric and Space Research, (30 September 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.187576

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