Field deployable diode-laser-based differential absorption lidar (DIAL) for profiling water vapor

Autor: S. M. Spuler, K. S. Repasky, B. Morley, D. Moen, M. Hayman, A. R. Nehrir
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
DOI: 10.5194/amtd-7-11265-2014
Popis: A field deployable water vapor profiling instrument that builds on the foundation of the preceding generations of diode-laser-based differential absorption lidar (DIAL) laboratory prototypes has been constructed and tested. Significant advances are discussed, including: a unique shared telescope design that allows expansion of the outgoing beam for eye-safe operation with opto-mechanical and thermal stability, multi-stage optical filtering enabling measurement during daytime bright-cloud conditions, rapid spectral switching between the online and offline wavelengths enabling measurements during changing atmospheric conditions, and enhanced performance at lower ranges by the introduction of a new filter design and the addition of a wide field-of-view channel. Performance modeling, testing and intercomparisons have been performed and are discussed. In general, the instrument has 150 m range resolution with 10 min temporal resolution – 1 min temporal resolution in the lowest 2 km of the atmosphere is demonstrated. The instrument was shown capable of autonomous long term field operation – 50 days with a >95% uptime – under a broad set of atmospheric conditions and potentially forms the basis for a ground-based network of eye-safe autonomous instruments needed for the atmospheric sciences research and forecasting communities.
Databáze: OpenAIRE