Sample records for absorption ipda lidar

  1. Wavelength Locking to CO2 Absorption Line-Center for 2-Micron Pulsed IPDA Lidar Application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Petros, Mulugeta; Antill, Charles W.; Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong

    2016-01-01

    An airborne 2-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is currently under development at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). This IPDA lidar system targets both atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) column measurements. Independent wavelength control of each of the transmitted laser pulses is a key feature for the success of this instrument. The wavelength control unit provides switching, tuning and locking for each pulse in reference to a 2-micron CW (Continuous Wave) laser source locked to CO2 line-center. Targeting the CO2 R30 line center, at 2050.967 nanometers, a wavelength locking unit has been integrated using semiconductor laser diode. The CO2 center-line locking unit includes a laser diode current driver, temperature controller, center-line locking controller and CO2 absorption cell. This paper presents the CO2 center-line locking unit architecture, characterization procedure and results. Assessment of wavelength jitter on the IPDA measurement error will also be addressed by comparison to the system design.

  2. 2-micron Double Pulsed IPDA Lidar for Atmospheric CO2 Measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer; Reithmaier, Karl; Remus, Ruben; Singh, Upendra; Johnson, Will; Boyer, Charlie; Fay, James; Johnston, Susan; Murchison, Luke; Scola, Tory

    2015-04-01

    We have developed a high energy pulsed 2-micron IPDA lidar instrument to measure the atmospheric CO2 column density. The IPDA lidar is operated on the long wavelength wing of R(30) CO2 line at 2050.967 nm (4875.749 cm-1) in the side-line operation mode. The R(30) line is an excellent absorption line for the measurements of CO2 in 2µm wavelength region with regard to the strength of the absorption lines, low susceptibility to atmospheric temperature variability, and freedom from problematic interference with other absorption lines. The Ho:Tm:YLF laser transmitter is designed to be operated in a unique double pulse format that can produce two-pulse pair in 10 Hz operation. Typically, the output energies of the laser transmitter are 100mJ and 45mJ for the first pulse and the second pulse, respectively. We injection seed the first pulse with on-line frequency and the second pulse with off-line frequency. The IPDA lidar instrument size, weight and power consumption were restricted to small research aircraft payload requirements. The airborne IPDA lidar instrument measures the total integrated column content of CO2 from the instrument to the ground but with weighting that can be tuned by controlling the transmitted wavelengths. Therefore, the transmitter could be tuned to weight the column measurement to the surface for optimum CO2 interaction studies or up to the free troposphere for optimum transport studies. The 2-μm CO2 IPDA lidar airborne demonstration was conducted during March 20, 2014 through April 10, 2014. IPDA lidar airborne flights included various operating and environmental conditions. Environmental conditions included different flight altitude up to 8.3 km, different ground target conditions such as vegetation, soil, ocean, snow and sand and different cloud conditions. Besides, some flights targeted power plant incinerators for investigating the IPDA sensitivity to CO2 plums. The lidar instrument is robust during all of the flights. This paper describes

  3. 2-Micron Pulsed Direct Detection IPDA Lidar for Atmospheric CO2 Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer; Reithmaier, Karl; Remus, Ruben; Singh, Upendra; Johnson, Will; Boyer, Charlie; Fay, James; Johnston, Susan; hide

    2014-01-01

    A 2-micron high energy, pulsed Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar has been developed for atmospheric CO2 measurements. Development of this lidar heavily leverages the 2-micron laser technologies developed in LaRC over the last decade. The high pulse energy, direct detection lidar operating at CO2 2-micron absorption band provides an alternate approach to measure CO2 concentrations. This new 2-micron pulsed IPDA lidar has been flown in spring of this year for total ten flights with 27 flight hours. It is able to make measurements of the total amount of atmospheric CO2 from the aircraft to the ground or cloud. It is expected to provide high-precision measurement capability by unambiguously eliminating contamination from aerosols and clouds that can bias the IPDA measurement.

  4. Airborne 2-Micron Double Pulsed Direct Detection IPDA Lidar for Atmospheric CO2 Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Reithmaier, Karl; Remus, Ruben; Singh, Upendra; Johnson, Will; Boyer, Charlie; Fay, James; Johnston, Susan; hide

    2015-01-01

    An airborne 2-micron double-pulsed Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar has been developed for atmospheric CO2 measurements. This new 2-miron pulsed IPDA lidar has been flown in spring of 2014 for total ten flights with 27 flight hours. It provides high precision measurement capability by unambiguously eliminating contamination from aerosols and clouds that can bias the IPDA measurement.

  5. Airborne Double Pulsed 2-Micron IPDA Lidar for Atmospheric CO2 Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer; Singh, Upendra

    2015-01-01

    We have developed an airborne 2-micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar for atmospheric CO2 measurements. The double pulsed, high pulse energy lidar instrument can provide high-precision CO2 column density measurements.

  6. Development of a 2-micron Pulsed Direct Detection IPDA Lidar for CO2 Measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, J.; Petros, M.; Singh, U. N.

    2013-12-01

    NASA Langley is developing a 2-micron pulsed Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar for atmospheric CO2 measurements. The high pulse energy, direct detection lidar operating at CO2 2-micron absorption band provides an alternate approach to measure CO2 concentrations with significant advantages. The objective of this development is to integrate an existing high energy double-pulsed 2-micron laser transmitter with a direct detection receiver and telescope to enable a first proof of principle demonstration of airborne direct detection CO2 measurements at 2-micron wavelength. It is expected to provide high-precision measurement capability by unambiguously eliminating contamination from aerosols and clouds that can bias the IPDA measurement. The system is scheduled to fly on NASA UC12 or B200 research aircrafts before the end of 2013. This paper will describe the design of the airborne 2-micron pulsed IPDA lidar system; the lidar operation parameters; the wavelength pair selection; laser transmitter energy, pulse rate, beam divergence, double pulse generation and accurate frequency control; detector characterization; telescope design; lidar structure design; and lidar signal to noise ratio estimation.

  7. Development of an Airborne Triple-Pulse 2-Micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar (IPDA) for Simultaneous Airborne Column Measurements of Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor in the Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Yu, Jirong; Antill, Charles W.; Remus, Ruben

    2016-01-01

    This presentation will provide status and details of an airborne 2-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar being developed at NASA Langley Research Center with support from NASA ESTO Instrument Incubator Program. The development of this active optical remote sensing IPDA instrument is targeted for measuring both atmospheric carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere from an airborne platform. This presentation will focus on the advancement of the 2-micron triple-pulse IPDA lidar development. Updates on the state-of-the-art triple-pulse laser transmitter will be presented including the status of seed laser locking, wavelength control, receiver and detector upgrades, laser packaging and lidar integration. Future plan for IPDA lidar system for ground integration, testing and flight validation will also be presented.

  8. 2-micron Pulsed Direct Detection IPDA Lidar for Atmospheric CO2 Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, J.; Singh, U.; Petros, M.

    2012-12-01

    A 2-micron high energy, pulsed Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar is being developed for atmospheric CO2 measurements. Development of this lidar heavily leverages the 2-micron laser technologies developed in LaRC over the last decade. The high pulse energy, direct detection lidar operating at CO2 2-micron absorption band provides an alternate approach to measure CO2 concentrations with significant advantages. It is expected to provide high-precision measurement capability by unambiguously eliminating contamination from aerosols and clouds that can bias the IPDA measurement. Our objective is to integrate an existing high energy double-pulsed 2-micron laser transmitter with a direct detection receiver and telescope to enable an airborne capability to perform a first proof of principle demonstration of airborne direct detection CO2 measurements. The 2-micron transmitter provides 100mJ at 10Hz with double pulse format specifically designed for DIAL/IPDA instrument. The compact, rugged, highly reliable transceiver is based on unique Ho:Tm:YLF high-energy 2-micron pulsed laser technology. All the optical mounts are custom designed and have space heritage. A 16-inch diameter telescope has been designed and being manufactured for the direct detection lidar. The detector is an InGaAs Positive-Intrinsic-Negative (PIN) photodiode manufactured by Hamamatsu Corporation. The performance of the detector is characterized at various operating temperatures and bias voltages for spectral response, NEP, response time, dynamic range, and linearity. A collinear lidar structure is designed to be integrated to NASA UC12 or B200 research aircrafts. This paper will describe the design of the airborne 2-micron pulsed IPDA lidar system; the lidar operation parameters; the wavelength pair selection; laser transmitter energy, pulse rate, beam divergence, double pulse generation and accurate frequency control; detector characterization; telescope design; lidar structure design

  9. Airborne Two-Micron Double-Pulse IPDA Lidar Validation for Carbon Dioxide Measurements Over Land

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Remus, Ruben; Ismail, Syed

    2018-04-01

    An airborne double-pulse 2-μm Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar has been developed at NASA LaRC for measuring atmospheric CO2. IPDA was validated using NASA B-200 aircraft over land and ocean under different conditions. IPDA evaluation for land vegetation returns, during full day background conditions, are presented. IPDA CO2 measurements compare well with model results driven from on-board insitu sensor data. These results also indicate that CO2 measurement bias is consistent with that from ocean surface returns.

  10. Progress on Development of an Airborne Two-Micron IPDA Lidar for Water Vapor and Carbon Dioxide Column Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Yu, Jirong; Antill, Charles W.; Taylor, Bryant D.; Bowen, Stephen C.; Welters, Angela M.; Remus, Ruben G.; Wong, Teh-Hwa; hide

    2014-01-01

    An airborne 2 micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is currently under development at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). This lidar targets both atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) column measurements, simultaneously. Advancements in the development of this IPDA lidar are presented in this paper. Updates on advanced two-micron triple-pulse high-energy laser transmitter will be given including packaging and lidar integration status. In addition, receiver development updates will also be presented. This includes a state-of-the-art detection system integrated at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This detection system is based on a newly developed HgCdTe (MCT) electron-initiated avalanche photodiode (e-APD) array. Future plan for IPDA lidar system for ground integration, testing and flight validation will be discussed.

  11. Progress on development of an airborne two-micron IPDA lidar for water vapor and carbon dioxide column measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Yu, Jirong; Antill, Charles W.; Taylor, Bryant D.; Bowen, Stephen C.; Welters, Angela M.; Remus, Ruben G.; Wong, Teh-Hwa; Reithmaier, Karl; Lee, Jane; Ismail, Syed

    2017-09-01

    An airborne 2-μm triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is currently under development at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). This lidar targets both atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) column measurements, simultaneously. Advancements in the development of this IPDA lidar are presented in this paper. Updates on advanced two-micron triple-pulse high-energy laser transmitter will be given including packaging and lidar integration status. In addition, receiver development updates will also be presented. This includes a state-of-the-art detection system integrated at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This detection system is based on a newly developed HgCdTe (MCT) electron-initiated avalanche photodiode (e-APD) array. Future plan for IPDA lidar system for ground integration, testing and flight validation will be discussed.

  12. Triple-Pulse Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar for Carbon Dioxide Measurement - Novel Lidar Technologies and Techniques with Path to Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Petros, Mulugeta

    2017-01-01

    The societal benefits of understanding climate change through identification of global carbon dioxide sources and sinks led to the desired NASA's active sensing of carbon dioxide emissions over nights, days, and seasons (ASCENDS) space-based missions of global carbon dioxide measurements. For more than 15 years, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have developed several carbon dioxide active remote sensors using the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique operating at the two-micron wavelength. Currently, an airborne two-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is under development. This IPDA lidar measures carbon dioxide as well as water vapor, the dominant interfering molecule on carbon dioxide remote sensing. Advancement of this triple-pulse IPDA lidar development is presented.

  13. Spectral purity study for IPDA lidar measurement of CO2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Hui; Liu, Dong; Xie, Chen-Bo; Tan, Min; Deng, Qian; Xu, Ji-Wei; Tian, Xiao-Min; Wang, Zhen-Zhu; Wang, Bang-Xin; Wang, Ying-Jian

    2018-02-01

    A high sensitivity and global covered observation of carbon dioxide (CO2) is expected by space-borne integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar which has been designed as the next generation measurement. The stringent precision of space-borne CO2 data, for example 1ppm or better, is required to address the largest number of carbon cycle science questions. Spectral purity, which is defined as the ratio of effective absorbed energy to the total energy transmitted, is one of the most important system parameters of IPDA lidar which directly influences the precision of CO2. Due to the column averaged dry air mixing ratio of CO2 is inferred from comparison of the two echo pulse signals, the laser output usually accompanied by an unexpected spectrally broadband background radiation would posing significant systematic error. In this study, the spectral energy density line shape and spectral impurity line shape are modeled as Lorentz line shape for the simulation, and the latter is assumed as an unabsorbed component by CO2. An error equation is deduced according to IPDA detecting theory for calculating the system error caused by spectral impurity. For a spectral purity of 99%, the induced error could reach up to 8.97 ppm.

  14. Development of an advanced Two-Micron triple-pulse IPDA lidar for carbon dioxide and water vapor measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Antill, Charles; Remus, Ruben; Taylor, Bryant D.; Wong, Teh-Hwa; Reithmaier, Karl; Lee, Jane; Ismail, Syed; Davis, Kenneth J.

    2018-04-01

    An advanced airborne triple-pulse 2-μm integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is under development at NASA Langley Research Center that targets both carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) measurements simultaneously and independently. This lidar is an upgrade to the successfully demonstrated CO2 2-μm double-pulse IPDA. Upgrades include high-energy, highrepetition rate 2-μm triple-pulse laser transmitter, innovative wavelength control and advanced HgCdTe (MCT) electron-initiated avalanche photodiode detection system. Ground testing and airborne validation plans are presented.

  15. Laser Energy Monitor for Double-Pulsed 2-Micrometer IPDA Lidar Application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Petros, Mulugeta; Remus, Ruben; Yu, Jirong; Singh, Upendra N.

    2014-01-01

    Integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is a remote sensing technique for monitoring different atmospheric species. The technique relies on wavelength differentiation between strong and weak absorbing features normalized to the transmitted energy. 2-micron double-pulsed IPDA lidar is best suited for atmospheric carbon dioxide measurements. In such case, the transmitter produces two successive laser pulses separated by short interval (200 microseconds), with low repetition rate (10Hz). Conventional laser energy monitors, based on thermal detectors, are suitable for low repetition rate single pulse lasers. Due to the short pulse interval in double-pulsed lasers, thermal energy monitors underestimate the total transmitted energy. This leads to measurement biases and errors in double-pulsed IPDA technique. The design and calibration of a 2-micron double-pulse laser energy monitor is presented. The design is based on a high-speed, extended range InGaAs pin quantum detectors suitable for separating the two pulse events. Pulse integration is applied for converting the detected pulse power into energy. Results are compared to a photo-electro-magnetic (PEM) detector for impulse response verification. Calibration included comparing the three detection technologies in single-pulsed mode, then comparing the pin and PEM detectors in double-pulsed mode. Energy monitor linearity will be addressed.

  16. Wide area methane emissions mapping with airborne IPDA lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartholomew, Jarett; Lyman, Philip; Weimer, Carl; Tandy, William

    2017-08-01

    Methane emissions from natural gas production, storage, and transportation are potential sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Methane leaks also constitute revenue loss potential from operations. Since 2013, Ball Aerospace has been developing advanced airborne sensors using integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) LIDAR instrumentation to identify methane, propane, and longer-chain alkanes in the lowest region of the atmosphere. Additional funding has come from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) to upgrade instrumentation to a broader swath coverage of up to 400 meters while maintaining high spatial sampling resolution and geolocation accuracy. Wide area coverage allows efficient mapping of emissions from gathering and distribution networks, processing facilities, landfills, natural seeps, and other distributed methane sources. This paper summarizes the benefits of advanced instrumentation for aerial methane emission mapping, describes the operating characteristics and design of this upgraded IPDA instrumentation, and reviews technical challenges encountered during development and deployment.

  17. A Two Micron Coherent Differential Absorption Lidar Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Chen, Songsheng; Bai, Yingxin; Petzar, Paul J.; Trieu, Bo C.; Koch, Grady J.; Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; VanValkenburg, Randal L.; Kavaya, Michael J.; hide

    2010-01-01

    A pulsed, 2-micron coherent Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL)/Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) transceiver, developed under the Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) at NASA, is integrated into a fully functional lidar instrument. This instrument measures atmospheric CO2 profiles (by DIAL) from a ground platform. It allows the investigators to pursue subsequent in science-driven deployments, and provides a unique tool for Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Night, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) validation that was strongly advocated in the recent ASCENDS Workshop. Keywords: Differential Absorption Lidar, Near Infrared Laser,

  18. CH4 IPDA Lidar mission data simulator and processor for MERLIN: prototype development at LMD/CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olivier, Chomette; Armante, Raymond; Crevoisier, Cyril; Delahaye, Thibault; Edouart, Dimitri; Gibert, Fabien; Nahan, Frédéric; Tellier, Yoann

    2018-04-01

    The MEthane Remote sensing Lidar missioN (MERLIN), currently in phase C, is a joint cooperation between France and Germany on the development of a spatial Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) LIDAR (LIght Detecting And Ranging) to conduct global observations of atmospheric methane. This presentation will focus on the status of a LIDAR mission data simulator and processor developed at LMD (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique), Ecole Polytechnique, France, for MERLIN to assess the performances in realistic observational situations.

  19. Evaluation of an airborne triple-pulsed 2 μm IPDA lidar for simultaneous and independent atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide measurements.

    PubMed

    Refaat, Tamer F; Singh, Upendra N; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Ismail, Syed; Kavaya, Michael J; Davis, Kenneth J

    2015-02-20

    Water vapor and carbon dioxide are the most dominant greenhouse gases directly contributing to the Earth's radiation budget and global warming. A performance evaluation of an airborne triple-pulsed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar system for simultaneous and independent monitoring of atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide column amounts is presented. This system leverages a state-of-the-art Ho:Tm:YLF triple-pulse laser transmitter operating at 2.05 μm wavelength. The transmitter provides wavelength tuning and locking capabilities for each pulse. The IPDA lidar system leverages a low risk and technologically mature receiver system based on InGaAs pin detectors. Measurement methodology and wavelength setting are discussed. The IPDA lidar return signals and error budget are analyzed for airborne operation on-board the NASA B-200. Results indicate that the IPDA lidar system is capable of measuring water vapor and carbon dioxide differential optical depth with 0.5% and 0.2% accuracy, respectively, from an altitude of 8 km to the surface and with 10 s averaging. Provided availability of meteorological data, in terms of temperature, pressure, and relative humidity vertical profiles, the differential optical depth conversion into weighted-average column dry-air volume-mixing ratio is also presented.

  20. Column carbon dioxide and water vapor measurements by an airborne triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption lidar: novel lidar technologies and techniques with path to space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, U. N.; Petros, M.; Refaat, T. F.; Yu, J.; Ismail, S.

    2017-09-01

    The 2-micron wavelength region is suitable for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements due to the existence of distinct absorption features for the gas at this wavelength region [1]. For more than 20 years, researchers at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have developed several high-energy and high repetition rate 2-micron pulsed lasers [2]. Currently, LaRC team is engaged in designing, developing and demonstrating a triple-pulsed 2-micron direct detection Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar to measure the weighted-average column dry-air mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (XCO2) and water vapor (XH2O) from an airborne platform [1, 3-5]. This novel technique allows measurement of the two most dominant greenhouse gases, simultaneously and independently, using a single instrument. This paper will provide status and details of the development of this airborne 2-micron triple-pulse IPDA lidar. The presented work will focus on the advancement of critical IPDA lidar components. Updates on the state-of-the-art triple-pulse laser transmitter will be presented including the status of seed laser locking, wavelength control, receiver and detector upgrades, laser packaging and lidar integration. Future plans for IPDA lidar ground integration, testing and flight validation will also be discussed. This work enables new Earth observation measurements, while reducing risk, cost, size, volume, mass and development time of required instruments.

  1. Development of Double and Triple-Pulsed 2-micron IPDA Lidars for Column CO2 Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Remus, Ruben G.; Reithmaier, Karl

    2015-01-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to the carbon cycle and globalradiation budget on Earth. CO2 role on Earth’s climate is complicated due to different interactions with various climatecomponents that include the atmosphere, the biosphere and the hydrosphere. Although extensive worldwide efforts formonitoring atmospheric CO2 through various techniques, including in-situ and passive sensors, are taking place highuncertainties exist in quantifying CO2 sources and sinks. These uncertainties are mainly due to insufficient spatial andtemporal mapping of the gas. Therefore it is required to have more rapid and accurate CO2 monitoring with higheruniform coverage and higher resolution. CO2 DIAL operating in the 2-µm band offer better near-surface CO2measurement sensitivity due to the intrinsically stronger absorption lines. For more than 15 years, NASA LangleyResearch Center (LaRC) contributed in developing several 2-?m CO2 DIAL systems and technologies. This paperfocuses on the current development of the airborne double-pulsed and triple-pulsed 2-?m CO2 integrated pathdifferential absorption (IPDA) lidar system at NASA LaRC. This includes the IPDA system development andintegration. Results from ground and airborne CO2 IPDA testing will be presented. The potential of scaling suchtechnology to a space mission will be addressed.

  2. First Airborne IPDA Lidar Measurements of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Applying the DLR Greenhouse Gas Sounder CHARM-F

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amediek, A.; Ehret, G.; Fix, A.; Wirth, M.; Quatrevalet, M.; Büdenbender, C.; Kiemle, C.; Loehring, J.; Gerbig, C.

    2015-12-01

    First airborne measurement using CHARM-F, the four-wavelengths lidar for simultaneous soundings of atmospheric CO2 and CH4, were performed in Spring 2015 onboard the German research aircraft HALO. The lidar is designed in the IPDA (integrated path differential absorption) configuration using short double pulses, which gives column averaged gas mixing ratios between aircraft and ground. HALO's maximum flight altitude of 15 km and special features of the lidar, such as a relatively large laser ground spot, enable the CHARM-F system to be an airborne demonstrator for future spaceborne greenhouse gas lidars. Due to a high technological conformity this applies in particular to the French-German satellite mission MERLIN, the spaceborne methane IPDA lidar. The successfully completed flight measurements provide a valuable dataset, which supports the retrieval algorithm development for MERLIN notably. The flights covered different ground cover types, different orography types as well as the sea. Additionally, we captured different cloud conditions, at which the broken cloud case is a matter of particular interest. This dataset allows detailed analyses of measurement sensitivities, general studies on the IPDA principle and on technical details of the system. These activities are supported by another instrument onboard: a cavity ring down spectrometer, providing in-situ data of carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor with high accuracy and precision, which is ideal for validation purposes of the lidar. Additionally the onboard instrumentation of HALO gives information about pressure and temperature for cross-checking the ECMWF data, which are intended to be used for calculating the weighting function, the key quantity for the retrieval of gas column mixing ratios from the measured gas optical depths. In combination with dedicated descents into the boundary layer and subsequent ascents, a self-contained dataset for characterizations of CHARM-F is available.

  3. Space-Based CO2 Active Optical Remote Sensing using 2-μm Triple-Pulse IPDA Lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Upendra; Refaat, Tamer; Ismail, Syed; Petros, Mulugeta

    2017-04-01

    Sustained high-quality column CO2 measurements from space are required to improve estimates of regional and global scale sources and sinks to attribute them to specific biogeochemical processes for improving models of carbon-climate interactions and to reduce uncertainties in projecting future change. Several studies show that space-borne CO2 measurements offer many advantages particularly over high altitudes, tropics and southern oceans. Current satellite-based sensing provides rapid CO2 monitoring with global-scale coverage and high spatial resolution. However, these sensors are based on passive remote sensing, which involves limitations such as full seasonal and high latitude coverage, poor sensitivity to the lower atmosphere, retrieval complexities and radiation path length uncertainties. CO2 active optical remote sensing is an alternative technique that has the potential to overcome these limitations. The need for space-based CO2 active optical remote sensing using the Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar has been advocated by the Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth (A-Scope) and Active Sensing of CO2 Emission over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) studies in Europe and the USA. Space-based IPDA systems can provide sustained, high precision and low-bias column CO2 in presence of thin clouds and aerosols while covering critical regions such as high latitude ecosystems, tropical ecosystems, southern ocean, managed ecosystems, urban and industrial systems and coastal systems. At NASA Langley Research Center, technology developments are in progress to provide high pulse energy 2-μm IPDA that enables optimum, lower troposphere weighted column CO2 measurements from space. This system provides simultaneous ranging; information on aerosol and cloud distributions; measurements over region of broken clouds; and reduces influences of surface complexities. Through the continual support from NASA Earth Science Technology Office

  4. Airborne 2-Micron Double-Pulsed Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar for Column CO2 Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Remus, Ruben G.; Fay, James J.; Reithmaier, Karl

    2014-01-01

    Double-pulse 2-micron lasers have been demonstrated with energy as high as 600 millijouls and up to 10 Hz repetition rate. The two laser pulses are separated by 200 microseconds and can be tuned and locked separately. Applying double-pulse laser in DIAL system enhances the CO2 measurement capability by increasing the overlap of the sampled volume between the on-line and off-line. To avoid detection complicity, integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar provides higher signal-to-noise ratio measurement compared to conventional range-resolved DIAL. Rather than weak atmospheric scattering returns, IPDA rely on the much stronger hard target returns that is best suited for airborne platforms. In addition, the IPDA technique measures the total integrated column content from the instrument to the hard target but with weighting that can be tuned by the transmitter. Therefore, the transmitter could be tuned to weight the column measurement to the surface for optimum CO2 interaction studies or up to the free troposphere for optimum transport studies. Currently, NASA LaRC is developing and integrating a double-Pulsed 2-micron direct detection IPDA lidar for CO2 column measurement from an airborne platform. The presentation will describe the development of the 2-micron IPDA lidar system and present the airborne measurement of column CO2 and will compare to in-situ measurement for various ground target of different reflectivity.

  5. 2-Micron Triple-Pulse Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar Development for Simultaneous Airborne Column Measurements of Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor in the Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Yu, Jirong

    2016-01-01

    For more than 15 years, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has contributed in developing several 2-micron carbon dioxide active remote sensors using the DIAL technique. Currently, an airborne 2-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is under development at NASA LaRC. This paper focuses on the advancement of the 2-micron triple-pulse IPDA lidar development. Updates on the state-of-the-art triple-pulse laser transmitter will be presented including the status of wavelength control, packaging and lidar integration. In addition, receiver development updates will also be presented, including telescope integration, detection systems and data acquisition electronics. Future plan for IPDA lidar system for ground integration, testing and flight validation will be presented.

  6. Airborne Measurements of Atmospheric Pressure made Using an IPDA Lidar Operating in the Oxygen A-Band

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Abshire, James B.; Stephen, Mark; Rodriquez, Michael; Allan, Graham; Hasselbrack, William; Mao, Jianping

    2012-01-01

    We report airborne measurements of atmospheric pressure made using an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar that operates in the oxygen A-band near 765 nm. Remote measurements of atmospheric temperature and pressure are needed for NASA s Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions Over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission to measure atmospheric CO2. Accurate measurements of tropospheric CO2 on a global scale are very important in order to better understand its sources and sinks and to improve our predictions of climate change. The goal of ASCENDS is to determine the CO2 dry mixing ratio with lidar measurements from space at a level of 1 ppm. Analysis to date shows that with current weather models, measurements of both the CO2 column density and the column density of dry air are needed. Since O2 is a stable molecule that uniformly mixed in the atmosphere, measuring O2 absorption in the atmosphere can be used to infer the dry air density. We have developed an airborne (IPDA) lidar for Oxygen, with support from the NASA ESTO IIP program. Our lidar uses DFB-based seed laser diodes, a pulsed modulator, a fiber laser amplifier, and a non-linear crystal to generate wavelength tunable 765 nm laser pulses with a few uJ/pulse energy. The laser pulse rate is 10 KHz, and average transmitted laser power is 20 mW. Our lidar steps laser pulses across a selected line O2 doublet near 764.7 nm in the Oxygen A-band. The direct detection lidar receiver uses a 20 cm diameter telescope, a Si APD detector in Geiger mode, and a multi-channel scalar to detect and record the time resolved laser backscatter in 40 separate wavelength channels. Subsequent analysis is used to estimate the transmission line shape of the doublet for the laser pulses reflected from the ground. Ground based data analysis allows averaging from 1 to 60 seconds to increase SNR in the transmission line shape of the doublet. Our retrieval algorithm fits the expected O2 lineshapes against the measurements and

  7. Averaging Bias Correction for Future IPDA Lidar Mission MERLIN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tellier, Yoann; Pierangelo, Clémence; Wirth, Martin; Gibert, Fabien

    2018-04-01

    The CNES/DLR MERLIN satellite mission aims at measuring methane dry-air mixing ratio column (XCH4) and thus improving surface flux estimates. In order to get a 1% precision on XCH4 measurements, MERLIN signal processing assumes an averaging of data over 50 km. The induced biases due to the non-linear IPDA lidar equation are not compliant with accuracy requirements. This paper analyzes averaging biases issues and suggests correction algorithms tested on realistic simulated scenes.

  8. Identifying Methane Sources with an Airborne Pulsed IPDA Lidar System Operating near 1.65 µm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yerasi, A.; Bartholomew, J.; Tandy, W., Jr.; Emery, W. J.

    2016-12-01

    Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that is predicted to play an important role in future global climate trends. It would therefore be beneficial to locate areas that produce methane in significant amounts so that these trends can be better understood. In this investigation, some initial performance test results of a lidar system called the Advanced Leak Detector Lidar - Natural Gas (ALDL-NG) are discussed. The feasibility of applying its fundamental principle of operation to methane source identification is also explored. The ALDL-NG was originally created by the Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. to reveal leaks emanating from pipelines that transport natural gas, which is primarily composed of methane. It operates in a pulsed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) configuration and it is carried by a piloted, single-engine aircraft. In order to detect the presence of natural gas leaks, the laser wavelengths of its online and offline channels operate in the 1.65 µm region. The functionality of the ALDL-NG was tested during a recent field campaign in Colorado. It was determined that the ambient concentration of methane in the troposphere ( 1.8 ppm) could indeed be retrieved from ALDL-NG data with a lower-than-expected uncertainty ( 0.2 ppm). Furthermore, when the ALDL-NG scanned over areas that were presumed to be methane sources (feedlots, landfills, etc.), significantly higher concentrations of methane were retrieved. These results are intriguing because the ALDL-NG was not specifically designed to observe anything beyond natural gas pipelines. Nevertheless, they strongly indicate that utilizing an airborne pulsed IPDA lidar system operating near 1.65 µm may very well be a viable technique for identifying methane sources. Perhaps future lidar systems could build upon the heritage of the ALDL-NG and measure methane concentration with even better precision for a variety of scientific applications.

  9. Space-based active optical remote sensing of carbon dioxide column using high-energy two-micron pulsed ipda lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Ismail, Syed; Petros, Mulugeta; Davis, Kenneth J.; Kawa, Stephan R.; Menzies, Robert T.

    2018-04-01

    Modeling of a space-based high-energy 2-μm triple-pulse Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar was conducted to demonstrate carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement capability and to evaluate random and systematic errors. A high pulse energy laser and an advanced MCT e-APD detector were incorporated in this model. Projected performance shows 0.5 ppm precision and 0.3 ppm bias in low-tropospheric column CO2 mixing ratio measurements from space for 10 second signal averaging over Railroad Valley (RRV) reference surface.

  10. Receiver Signal to Noise Ratios for IPDA Lidars Using Sine-wave and Pulsed Laser Modulation and Direct Detections

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sun, Xiaoli; Abshire, James B.

    2011-01-01

    Integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar can be used to remotely measure the column density of gases in the path to a scattering target [1]. The total column gas molecular density can be derived from the ratio of the laser echo signal power with the laser wavelength on the gas absorption line (on-line) to that off the line (off-line). 80th coherent detection and direct detection IPDA lidar have been used successfully in the past in horizontal path and airborne remote sensing measurements. However, for space based measurements, the signal propagation losses are often orders of magnitude higher and it is important to use the most efficient laser modulation and detection technique to minimize the average laser power and the electrical power from the spacecraft. This paper gives an analysis the receiver signal to noise ratio (SNR) of several laser modulation and detection techniques versus the average received laser power under similar operation environments. Coherent detection [2] can give the best receiver performance when the local oscillator laser is relatively strong and the heterodyne mixing losses are negligible. Coherent detection has a high signal gain and a very narrow bandwidth for the background light and detector dark noise. However, coherent detection must maintain a high degree of coherence between the local oscillator laser and the received signal in both temporal and spatial modes. This often results in a high system complexity and low overall measurement efficiency. For measurements through atmosphere the coherence diameter of the received signal also limits the useful size of the receiver telescope. Direct detection IPDA lidars are simpler to build and have fewer constraints on the transmitter and receiver components. They can use much larger size 'photon-bucket' type telescopes to reduce the demands on the laser transmitter. Here we consider the two most widely used direct detection IPDA lidar techniques. The first technique uses two CW

  11. Feasibility study of a space-based high pulse energy 2  μm CO2 IPDA lidar.

    PubMed

    Singh, Upendra N; Refaat, Tamer F; Ismail, Syed; Davis, Kenneth J; Kawa, Stephan R; Menzies, Robert T; Petros, Mulugeta

    2017-08-10

    Sustained high-quality column carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) atmospheric measurements from space are required to improve estimates of regional and continental-scale sources and sinks of CO 2 . Modeling of a space-based 2 μm, high pulse energy, triple-pulse, direct detection integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar was conducted to demonstrate CO 2 measurement capability and to evaluate random and systematic errors. Parameters based on recent technology developments in the 2 μm laser and state-of-the-art HgCdTe (MCT) electron-initiated avalanche photodiode (e-APD) detection system were incorporated in this model. Strong absorption features of CO 2 in the 2 μm region, which allows optimum lower tropospheric and near surface measurements, were used to project simultaneous measurements using two independent altitude-dependent weighting functions with the triple-pulse IPDA. Analysis of measurements over a variety of atmospheric and aerosol models using a variety of Earth's surface target and aerosol loading conditions were conducted. Water vapor (H 2 O) influences on CO 2 measurements were assessed, including molecular interference, dry-air estimate, and line broadening. Projected performance shows a <0.35  ppm precision and a <0.3  ppm bias in low-tropospheric weighted measurements related to column CO 2 optical depth for the space-based IPDA using 10 s signal averaging over the Railroad Valley (RRV) reference surface under clear and thin cloud conditions.

  12. Pulsed Airborne Lidar Measurements of C02 Column Absorption

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, James B.; Riris, Haris; Allan, Graham R.; Weaver, Clark J.; Mao, Jianping; Sun, Xiaoli; Hasselbrack, William E.; Rodriquez, Michael; Browell, Edward V.

    2011-01-01

    We report on airborne lidar measurements of atmospheric CO2 column density for an approach being developed as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS mission. It uses a pulsed dual-wavelength lidar measurement based on the integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) technique. We demonstrated the approach using the CO2 measurement from aircraft in July and August 2009 over four locations. The results show clear CO2 line shape and absorption signals, which follow the expected changes with aircraft altitude from 3 to 13 km. The 2009 measurements have been analyzed in detail and the results show approx.1 ppm random errors for 8-10 km altitudes and approx.30 sec averaging times. Airborne measurements were also made in 2010 with stronger signals and initial analysis shows approx. 0.3 ppm random errors for 80 sec averaging times for measurements at altitudes> 6 km.

  13. An Efficient Single Frequency Ho:YLF Laser for IPDA Lidar Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, J.; Bai, Y.; Wong, T.; Reithmeier, K.; Petros, M.

    2016-01-01

    A highly efficient, versatile, single frequency 2-micron pulsed laser can be used in a pulsed Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) / Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) instrument to make precise, high-resolution measurements to investigate sources and sinks of CO2. For a direct detection IPDA lidar, the desired 2 ?m Ho:YLF laser should generate 30-40 mJ pulses at the repetition rate of 100 to 200 Hz, with short pulse length (<100 ns) and better than 2% wall plug efficiency. A Tm fiber laser in-band pumped Ho:YLF laser has been developed to meet this technical challenge. This Ho:YLF laser is designed in a four mirror ring resonator with bow tie configuration, which helps to obtain high beam quality. It is end-pumped by a 40 W linearly polarized Tm fiber laser at 1.94µm. The resonator length is 1.10 meters with output coupler reflectivity at 45%. The laser crystal size is 3 x 3 x 60 mm (w, h, l) with a doping concentration of 0.5% Holmium. The laser beam and pump beam are mode-matched in the active medium. Thus, the pump and laser beams have the same confocal parameters. Mode-matching is also helpful for operating the laser in a single transverse mode. The laser beam waist is slightly less than 0.5 mm at the center of the laser crystal. Based on quasi-four level modeling, pump absorption and saturation depend on laser intensity. Laser amplification and saturation also depend on the pump intensity in the crystal. The laser is injection seeded to obtain the single frequency required by an IPDA lidar measurement. The seed beam is entered into the resonator through an output coupler. The laser is mounted on a water cooled optical bench for stable and reliable operation. The size of the optical bench is 22.16 x 9.20 x 1.25 inches. It is stiffened so that the laser can be operated in any orientation of the optical bench. This packaged Ho:YLF laser is designed for either mobile trailer or airborne platform operation. The engineering prototype Ho:YLF laser has

  14. Validation of double-pulse 1572 nm integrated path differential absorption lidar measurement of carbon dioxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Juan; Liu, Jiqiao; Bi, Decang; Ma, Xiuhua; Hou, Xia; Zhu, Xiaolei; Chen, Weibiao

    2018-04-01

    A ground-based double-pulse 1572 nm integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar was developed for carbon dioxide (CO2) column concentrations measurement. The lidar measured the CO2 concentrations continuously by receiving the scattered echo signal from a building about 1300 m away. The other two instruments of TDLAS and in-situ CO2 analyzer measured the CO2 concentrations on the same time. A CO2 concentration measurement of 430 ppm with 1.637 ppm standard error was achieved.

  15. Space-borne remote sensing of CO2 by IPDA lidar with heterodyne detection: random error estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matvienko, G. G.; Sukhanov, A. Y.

    2015-11-01

    Possibilities of measuring the CO2 column concentration by spaceborne integrated path differential lidar (IPDA) signals in the near IR absorption bands are investigated. It is shown that coherent detection principles applied in the nearinfrared spectral region promise a high sensitivity for the measurement of the integrated dry air column mixing ratio of the CO2. The simulations indicate that for CO2 the target observational requirements (0.2%) for the relative random error can be met with telescope aperture 0.5 m, detector bandwidth 10 MHz, laser energy per impulse 0.3 mJ and averaging 7500 impulses. It should also be noted that heterodyne technique allows to significantly reduce laser power and receiver overall dimensions compared to direct detection.

  16. Self-Calibration and Laser Energy Monitor Validations for a Double-Pulsed 2-Micron CO2 Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar Application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta; Remus, Ruben; Yu, Jirong

    2015-01-01

    Double-pulsed 2-micron integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is well suited for atmospheric CO2 remote sensing. The IPDA lidar technique relies on wavelength differentiation between strong and weak absorbing features of the gas normalized to the transmitted energy. In the double-pulse case, each shot of the transmitter produces two successive laser pulses separated by a short interval. Calibration of the transmitted pulse energies is required for accurate CO2 measurement. Design and calibration of a 2-micron double-pulse laser energy monitor is presented. The design is based on an InGaAs pin quantum detector. A high-speed photo-electromagnetic quantum detector was used for laser-pulse profile verification. Both quantum detectors were calibrated using a reference pyroelectric thermal detector. Calibration included comparing the three detection technologies in the single-pulsed mode, then comparing the quantum detectors in the double-pulsed mode. In addition, a self-calibration feature of the 2-micron IPDA lidar is presented. This feature allows one to monitor the transmitted laser energy, through residual scattering, with a single detection channel. This reduces the CO2 measurement uncertainty. IPDA lidar ground validation for CO2 measurement is presented for both calibrated energy monitor and self-calibration options. The calibrated energy monitor resulted in a lower CO2 measurement bias, while self-calibration resulted in a better CO2 temporal profiling when compared to the in situ sensor.

  17. Airborne Measurements of CO2 Column Concentration and Range Using a Pulsed Direct-Detection IPDA Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, James B.; Ramanathan, Anand; Riris, Haris; Mao, Jianping; Allan, Graham R.; Hasselbrack, William E.; Weaver, Clark J.; Browell, Edward V.

    2013-01-01

    We have previously demonstrated a pulsed direct detection IPDA lidar to measure range and the column concentration of atmospheric CO2. The lidar measures the atmospheric backscatter profiles and samples the shape of the 1,572.33 nm CO2 absorption line. We participated in the ASCENDS science flights on the NASA DC-8 aircraft during August 2011 and report here lidar measurements made on four flights over a variety of surface and cloud conditions near the US. These included over a stratus cloud deck over the Pacific Ocean, to a dry lake bed surrounded by mountains in Nevada, to a desert area with a coal-fired power plant, and from the Rocky Mountains to Iowa, with segments with both cumulus and cirrus clouds. Most flights were to altitudes >12 km and had 5-6 altitude steps. Analyses show the retrievals of lidar range, CO2 column absorption, and CO2 mixing ratio worked well when measuring over topography with rapidly changing height and reflectivity, through thin clouds, between cumulus clouds, and to stratus cloud tops. The retrievals shows the decrease in column CO2 due to growing vegetation when flying over Iowa cropland as well as a sudden increase in CO2 concentration near a coal-fired power plant. For regions where the CO2 concentration was relatively constant, the measured CO2 absorption lineshape (averaged for 50 s) matched the predicted shapes to better than 1% RMS error. For 10 s averaging, the scatter in the retrievals was typically 2-3 ppm and was limited by the received signal photon count. Retrievals were made using atmospheric parameters from both an atmospheric model and from in situ temperature and pressure from the aircraft. The retrievals had no free parameters and did not use empirical adjustments, and >70% of the measurements passed screening and were used in analysis. The differences between the lidar-measured retrievals and in situ measured average CO2 column concentrations were <1.4 ppm for flight measurement altitudes >6 km.

  18. Ground-based DIAL and IPDA Systems for Remote Sensing of CO2, CH4, and H2O near 1.6 µm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wagner, G. A.; Plusquellic, D. F.

    2017-12-01

    Integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) and differential absorption LIDAR (DIAL) are well established methods to monitor atmospheric constituents. At NIST, IPDA and DIAL systems have been developed as standoff systems and their overall performance has been evaluated through intercomparisons including the traceability to point sensor measurements. The all-fiber IPDA system is based on a low-power (< 13 mW, eye-safe) electro-optic modulated continuous-wave laser to produce 123 frequencies at a scan repetition frequency of 10 kHz.1 The transmitter-receiver system measures backscatter from natural targets and is rastered during the measurements to reduce speckle effects. The receiver consists of a 28 cm telescope, photomultiplier tube, and a streaming data acquisition system for direct photon discrimination and counting. The eye-safe DIAL system is based on an optical parametric oscillator2,3 that operates at a pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz and alternates between on-line and off-line frequencies with pulse energies of < 10 mJ/pulse. The receivers consist of two telescopes (near field: 28 cm; far field: 40 cm), photomultiplier tubes, and a 2 GS/s hybrid data acquisition system for photon counting and current detection. We demonstrate the performance of the DIAL and IPDA systems and present results of a CO2 IPDA/DIAL/point sensor traceability study performed in Boulder (CO, USA) in summer 2017. 1. G. A. Wagner and D. F. Plusquellic, "Ground-Based, Integrated Path Differential Absorption LIDAR Measurement of CO2, CH4 and H2O near 1.6 µm," Applied Optics, 55(23), 6292-6310 (2016). 2. D. J. Armstrong, and A. V. Smith, "150-mJ 1550-nm KTA OPO with Good Beam Quality and High Efficiency," SPIE, 5337, 71-80 (2004). 3. K. O. Douglass, S. E. Maxwell, D. F. Plusquellic, J. T. Hodges, R. D. van Zee, D. V. Samarov, J. R. Whetstone, "Construction of a High Power OPO Laser System for Differential Absorption LIDAR," SPIE, 8159, 81590D (2011).

  19. Double-pulse 2-μm integrated path differential absorption lidar airborne validation for atmospheric carbon dioxide measurement.

    PubMed

    Refaat, Tamer F; Singh, Upendra N; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Remus, Ruben; Ismail, Syed

    2016-05-20

    Field experiments were conducted to test and evaluate the initial atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement capability of airborne, high-energy, double-pulsed, 2-μm integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. This IPDA was designed, integrated, and operated at the NASA Langley Research Center on-board the NASA B-200 aircraft. The IPDA was tuned to the CO2 strong absorption line at 2050.9670 nm, which is the optimum for lower tropospheric weighted column measurements. Flights were conducted over land and ocean under different conditions. The first validation experiments of the IPDA for atmospheric CO2 remote sensing, focusing on low surface reflectivity oceanic surface returns during full day background conditions, are presented. In these experiments, the IPDA measurements were validated by comparison to airborne flask air-sampling measurements conducted by the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory. IPDA performance modeling was conducted to evaluate measurement sensitivity and bias errors. The IPDA signals and their variation with altitude compare well with predicted model results. In addition, off-off-line testing was conducted, with fixed instrument settings, to evaluate the IPDA systematic and random errors. Analysis shows an altitude-independent differential optical depth offset of 0.0769. Optical depth measurement uncertainty of 0.0918 compares well with the predicted value of 0.0761. IPDA CO2 column measurement compares well with model-driven, near-simultaneous air-sampling measurements from the NOAA aircraft at different altitudes. With a 10-s shot average, CO2 differential optical depth measurement of 1.0054±0.0103 was retrieved from a 6-km altitude and a 4-GHz on-line operation. As compared to CO2 weighted-average column dry-air volume mixing ratio of 404.08 ppm, derived from air sampling, IPDA measurement resulted in a value of 405.22±4.15  ppm with 1.02% uncertainty and

  20. Airborne Lidar for Simultaneous Measurement of Column CO2 and Water Vapor in the Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer F.; Antill, Charles W.; Remus, Ruben; Yu, Jirong

    2016-01-01

    The 2-micron wavelength region is suitable for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements due to the existence of distinct absorption feathers for the gas at this particular wavelength. For more than 20 years, researchers at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have developed several high-energy and high repetition rate 2-micron pulsed lasers. This paper will provide status and details of an airborne 2-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. The development of this active optical remote sensing IPDA instrument is targeted for measuring both CO2 and water vapor (H2O) in the atmosphere from an airborne platform. This presentation will focus on the advancement of the 2-micron triple-pulse IPDA lidar development. Updates on the state-of-the-art triple-pulse laser transmitter will be presented including the status of seed laser locking, wavelength control, receiver telescope, detection system and data acquisition. Future plans for the IPDA lidar system for ground integration, testing and flight validation will also be presented.

  1. Airborne Measurements of Atmospheric Methane Column Abundance Made Using a Pulsed IPDA Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Li, Steve; Wu, Stewart; Ramanathan, Anamd; Dawsey, Martha; Mao, Jianping; Kawa, Randolph; Abshire, James B.

    2012-01-01

    We report airborne measurements of the column abundance of atmospheric methane made over an altitude range of 3-11 km using a direct detection IPDA lidar with a pulsed laser emitting at 1651 nm. The laser transmitter was a tunable, seeded optical parametric amplifier (OPA) pumped by a Nd:YAG laser and the receiver used a photomultiplier detector and photon counting electronics. The results follow the expected changes with aircraft altitude and the measured line shapes and optical depths show good agreement with theoretical calculations.

  2. Column CO2 Measurement From an Airborne Solid-State Double-Pulsed 2-Micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, U. N.; Yu, J.; Petros, M.; Refaat, T. F.; Remus, R.; Fay, J.; Reithmaier, K.

    2014-01-01

    NASA LaRC is developing and integrating a double-Pulsed 2-micron direct detection IPDA lidar for CO2 column measurement from an airborne platform. The presentation will describe the development of the 2-micrometers IPDA lidar system and present the airborne measurement of column CO2 and will compare to in-situ measurement for various ground target of different reflectivity.

  3. Quantification of Greenhouse Gas Emission Rates from strong Point Sources by Airborne IPDA-Lidar Measurements: Methodology and Experimental Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehret, G.; Amediek, A.; Wirth, M.; Fix, A.; Kiemle, C.; Quatrevalet, M.

    2016-12-01

    We report on a new method and on the first demonstration to quantify emission rates from strong greenhouse gas (GHG) point sources using airborne Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) Lidar measurements. In order to build trust in the self-reported emission rates by countries, verification against independent monitoring systems is a prerequisite to check the reported budget. A significant fraction of the total anthropogenic emission of CO2 and CH4 originates from localized strong point sources of large energy production sites or landfills. Both are not monitored with sufficiently accuracy by the current observation system. There is a debate whether airborne remote sensing could fill in the gap to infer those emission rates from budgeting or from Gaussian plume inversion approaches, whereby measurements of the GHG column abundance beneath the aircraft can be used to constrain inverse models. In contrast to passive sensors, the use of an active instrument like CHARM-F for such emission verification measurements is new. CHARM-F is a new airborne IPDA-Lidar devised for the German research aircraft HALO for the simultaneous measurement of the column-integrated dry-air mixing ratio of CO2 and CH4 commonly denoted as XCO2 und XCH4, respectively. It has successfully been tested in a serious of flights over Central Europe to assess its performance under various reflectivity conditions and in a strongly varying topography like the Alps. The analysis of a methane plume measured in crosswind direction of a coal mine ventilation shaft revealed an instantaneous emission rate of 9.9 ± 1.7 kt CH4 yr-1. We discuss the methodology of our point source estimation approach and give an outlook on the CoMet field experiment scheduled in 2017 for the measurement of anthropogenic and natural GHG emissions by a combination of active and passive remote sensing instruments on research aircraft.

  4. Simultaneous and Independent Measurement of Atmospheric Water Vapor and Carbon Dioxide using a Triple-Pulsed, 2-micron Airborne IPDA Lidar - A Feasibility Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, U. N.; Refaat, T. F.; Yu, J.; Petros, M.

    2013-12-01

    Water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are dominant greenhouse gases that are critical for Earth's radiation budget and global warming through the eco-system and the carbon cycle. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has a strong heritage in atmospheric remote sensing of both gases using several instruments adopting various DIAL techniques. This communication presents a feasibility study for measuring both H2O and CO2 simultaneously and independently using a single instrument. This instrument utilizes the Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar technique to measure the weighted-average column dry-air mixing ratios of CO2 (XCO2) and H2O (XH2O) independently and simultaneously from an airborne platform. The key component of this instrument is a tunable triple-pulse 2-micron laser. The three laser pulses are transmitted sequentially within a short time interval of 200 microsec. The wavelength of each of the laser pulses can be tuned separately. The IPDA receiver design is based on low-risk, commercially available components, including 300-micron diameter InGaAs 2-micron pin detector, a low-noise, high speed trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) and 12-bit 400 MHz digitizer.

  5. Development of a Coherent Differential Absorption Lidar for Range Resolved Atmospheric CO2 Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulgueta; Chen, Songsheng; Bai, Yingxin; Petzar, Paul J.; Trieu, Bo. C.; Koch, Grady J.; Beyon, Jeffery J.; Singh, Upendra N.

    2010-01-01

    A pulsed, 2-m coherent Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) / Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) transceiver, developed under the Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) at NASA, is integrated into a fully functional lidar instrument. This instrument will measure atmospheric CO2 profiles (by DIAL) initially from a ground platform, and then be prepared for aircraft installation to measure the atmospheric CO2 column densities in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and lower troposphere. The airborne prototype CO2 lidar can measure atmospheric CO2 column density in a range bin of 1km with better than 1.5% precision at horizontal resolution of less than 50km. It can provide the image of the pooling of CO2 in lowlying areas and performs nighttime mass balance measurements at landscape scale. This sensor is unique in its capability to study the vertical ABL-free troposphere exchange of CO2 directly. It will allow the investigators to pursue subsequent in science-driven deployments, and provides a unique tool for Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Night, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) validation that was strongly advocated in the recent ASCENDS Workshop.

  6. MERLIN (Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission): an Overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pierangelo, C.; Millet, B.; Esteve, F.; Alpers, M.; Ehret, G.; Flamant, P.; Berthier, S.; Gibert, F.; Chomette, O.; Edouart, D.; Deniel, C.; Bousquet, P.; Chevallier, F.

    2016-06-01

    The Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission (MERLIN), currently in phase B, is a joint cooperation between France and Germany on the development, launch and operation of a methane (CH4) monitoring satellite. MERLIN is focused on global measurements of the spatial and temporal gradients of atmospheric CH4, the second most anthropogenic gas, with a precision and accuracy sufficient to constrain Methane fluxes significantly better than with the current observation network. For the first time, measurements of atmospheric composition will be performed from space thanks to an IPDA (Integrated Path Differential Absorption) LIDAR (Light Detecting And Ranging). This payload is under the responsibility of the German space agency (DLR), while the platform (MYRIADE Evolutions product line) is developed by the French space agency (CNES). The IPDA technique relies on DIAL (Differential Absorption LIDAR) measurements using a pulsed laser emitting at two wavelengths, one wavelength accurately locked on a spectral feature of the methane absorption line, and the other wavelength free from absorption to be used as reference. This technique enables measurements in all seasons, at all latitudes. It also guarantees almost no contamination by aerosols or water vapour cross-sensitivity, and thus has the advantage of an extremely low level of systematic error on the dry-air column mixing ratio of CH4.

  7. Development of a Pulsed 2-Micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar for CO2 Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer; Refaat, Tamer

    2013-01-01

    Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to the carbon cycle and global radiation budget on Earth. Active remote sensing of CO2 is important to address several limitations that contend with passive sensors. A 2-micron double-pulsed, Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar instrument for ground and airborne atmospheric CO2 concentration measurements via direct detection method is being developed at NASA Langley Research Center. This active remote sensing instrument will provide an alternate approach of measuring atmospheric CO2 concentrations with significant advantages. A high energy pulsed approach provides high-precision measurement capability by having high signal-to-noise ratio level and unambiguously eliminates the contamination from aerosols and clouds that can bias the IPDA measurement. Commercial, on the shelf, components are implemented for the detection system. Instrument integration will be presented in this paper as well as a background for CO2 measurement at NASA Langley research Center

  8. Double-Pulsed 2-Micrometer Lidar Validation for Atmospheric CO2 Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Remus, Ruben

    2015-01-01

    A double-pulsed, 2-micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar instrument for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements is successfully developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). Based on direct detection technique, the instrument can be operated on ground or onboard a small aircraft. Key features of this compact, rugged and reliable IPDA lidar includes high transmitted laser energy, wavelength tuning, switching and locking, and sensitive detection. As a proof of concept, the IPDA ground and airborne CO2 measurement and validation will be presented. IPDA lidar CO2 measurements ground validation were conducted at NASA LaRC using hard targets and a calibrated in-situ sensor. Airborne validation, conducted onboard the NASA B-200 aircraft, included CO2 plum detection from power stations incinerators, comparison to in-flight CO2 in-situ sensor and comparison to air sampling at different altitude conducted by NOAA at the same site. Airborne measurements, spanning for 20 hours, were obtained from different target conditions. Ground targets included soil, vegetation, sand, snow and ocean. In addition, cloud slicing was examined over the ocean. These flight validations were conducted at different altitudes, up to 7 km, with different wavelength controlled weighing functions. CO2 measurement results agree with modeling conducted through the different sensors, as will be discussed.

  9. Comparison of Carbon Dioxide Airborne Measurement over Land and Ocean using 2-μm Double-Pulse Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Refaat, T. F.; Singh, U. N.; Petros, M.; Yu, J.; Remus, R.; Ismail, S.

    2017-12-01

    An airborne Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar has been developed and validated at NASA Langley Research Center for atmospheric carbon dioxide column measurements. The instrument consists of a tunable, high-energy 2-μm double pulse laser transmitter and 0.4 m telescope receiver coupled to an InGaAs pin detection system. The instrument was validated for carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements from ground and airborne platforms, using a movable lidar trailer and the NASA B-200 aircraft. Airborne validation was conducted over the ocean by comparing the IPDA CO2 optical depth measurement to optical depth model derived using NOAA airborne CO2 air-sampling. Another airborne validation was conducted over land vegetation by comparing the IPDA measurement to a model derived using on-board in-situ measurements using an absolute, non-dispersive infrared gas analyzer (LiCor 840A). IPDA range measurements were also compared to rangefinder and Global Positioning System (GPS) records during ground and airborne validation, respectively. Range measurements from the ground indicated a 0.93 m IPDA range measurement uncertainty, which is limited by the transmitted laser pulse and detection system properties. This uncertainty increased to 2.80 and 7.40 m over ocean and land, due to fluctuations in ocean surface and ground elevations, respectively. IPDA CO2 differential optical depth measurements agree with both models. Consistent CO2 optical depth biases were well correlated with the digitizer full scale input range settings. CO2 optical depth measurements over ocean from 3.1 and 6.1 km altitudes indicated 0.95% and 0.83% uncertainty, respectively, using 10 second (100 shots) averaging. Using the same averaging 0.40% uncertainty was observed over land, from 3.4 km altitude, due to higher surface reflectivity, which increases the return signal power and enhances the signal-to-noise ratio. However, less uncertainty is observed at higher altitudes due to reduced signal shot

  10. Quantification of Greenhouse Gas Emission Rates from strong Point Sources by Space-borne IPDA Lidar Measurements: Results from a Sensitivity Analysis Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehret, G.; Kiemle, C.; Rapp, M.

    2017-12-01

    The practical implementation of the Paris Agreement (COP21) vastly profit from an independent, reliable and global measurement system of greenhouse gas emissions, in particular of CO2, in order to complement and cross-check national efforts. Most fossil-fuel CO2 emitters emanate from large sources such as cities and power plants. These emissions increase the local CO2 abundance in the atmosphere by 1-10 parts per million (ppm) which is a signal that is significantly larger than the variability from natural sources and sinks over the local source domain. Despite these large signals, they are only sparsely sampled by the ground-based network which calls for satellite measurements. However, none of the existing and forthcoming passive satellite instruments, operating in the NIR spectral domain, can measure CO2 emissions at night time or in low sunlight conditions and in high latitude regions in winter times. The resulting sparse coverage of passive spectrometers is a serious limitation, particularly for the Northern Hemisphere, since these regions exhibit substantial emissions during the winter as well as other times of the year. In contrast, CO2 measurements by an Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) Lidar are largely immune to these limitations and initial results from airborne application look promising. In this study, we discuss the implication for a space-borne IPDA Lidar system. A Gaussian plume model will be used to simulate the CO2-distribution of large power plants downstream to the source. The space-borne measurements are simulated by applying a simple forward model based on Gaussian error distribution. Besides the sampling frequency, the sampling geometry (e.g. measurement distance to the emitting source) and the error of the measurement itself vastly impact on the flux inversion performance. We will discuss the results by incorporating Gaussian plume and mass budget approaches to quantify the emission rates.

  11. Recent Results and Performance Analyses of CHARM-F, the Airborne IPDA Lidar for Methane and Carbon Dioxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehret, G.; Amediek, A.; Büdenbender, C.; Fix, A.; Kiemle, C.; Quatrevalet, M.; Wirth, M.; Armante, R.; Delahaye, T.; Gerbig, C.

    2017-12-01

    CHARM-F is DLR's airborne integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar for the simultaneous measurement of atmospheric methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) onboard the German research aircraft HALO, deployed also as a demonstrator for MERLIN (Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission). During the first flight campaign in spring 2015 a comprehensive test data set was generated that covers many typical measurement conditions and offers various possibilities to assess the system performance. Currently CHARM-F is being optimized to achieve the best performance using the collected flight data supported by additional ground-based measurements out of the laboratory. Several system-specific details could be identified so far that resulted in performance limitations. We elaborate appropriate system adjustments and data retrieval improvements to be applied during future flight campaigns. It turned out that the accuracy of the available methane spectroscopy data (from HITRAN) for the specific wavelengths used is insufficient for our mixing ratio retrieval, which initially resulted in a strong bias. The use of alternative spectroscopy data shows a significant reduction of this bias. Highlights of the flight campaign were the capturing of point source emission plumes from a coal-fired power plant (CO2) and from a hard-coal mine shaft (CH4). It could be demonstrated that the derivation of emission rates from the lidar data is possible. Furthermore, the application of a cloud detection routine (based on a digital elevation model) enables data points to be separated into classes with ground or clouds as target. After this splitting, separate averaging over larger distances (e.g. some tens of kilometers) is possible, especially for scenes with small broken clouds. Subsequently, this allows (a) comparisons of the lidar data on larger scales with model data, and (b) the vertical separation of column mixing ratios for different column parts (cloud slicing). Both can be done with

  12. Feasibility Study of Space-based CO2 Remote Sensing Using Pulsed 2-micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, U. N.; Refaat, T. F.; Ismail, S.; Davis, K. J.; Kawa, S. R.; Menzies, R. T.; Petros, M.; Yu, J.

    2016-12-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) is recognized as the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas. While CO2 concentration is rapidly increasing, understanding of the global carbon cycle remains a primary scientific challenge. This is mainly due to the lack of full characterization of CO2 sources and sinks. Quantifying the current global distribution of CO2 sources and sinks with sufficient accuracy and spatial resolution is a critical requirement for improving models of carbon-climate interactions and for attributing them to specific biogeochemical processes. This requires sustained atmospheric CO2 observations with high precision, and low bias for high accuracy, and spatial and temporal dense representation that cannot be fully realized with current CO2 observing systems, including existing satellite CO2 passive remote sensors. Progress in 2-micron instrument technologies, airborne testing, and system performance simulations indicates that the necessary lower tropospheric weighted CO2 measurements can be achieved from space using new high pulse energy 2-micron direct detection active remote sensing. Advantages of the CO2 active remote sensing include low bias measurements that are independent of sun light or Earth's radiation and day/night coverage over all latitudes and seasons. In addition, the direct detection system provides precise ranging with simultaneous measurement of aerosol and cloud distributions. The 2-micron active remote sensing offers strong CO2 absorption lines with optimum low tropospheric and near surface weighting. A feasibility study, including system optimization and sensitivity analysis of a space-based 2-micron pulsed IPDA lidar for CO2 measurement, is presented. This is based on the successful demonstration of the CO2 double-pulse IPDA lidar and the technology maturation of the triple-pulse IPDA lidar, currently under development at NASA Langley Research Center. Preliminary simulations indicate CO2 random measurement errors of 0.71, 0.35 and 0.13 ppm

  13. Analysis of Pulsed Airborne Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption from 3-13 km Altitudes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, James B.; Weaver, Clark J.; Riris, Haris; Mao, Jianping; Sun, Xiaoli; Allan, Graham R.; Hasselbrack, William; Browell, Edward V.

    2011-01-01

    We have developed a pulsed lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS space mission [1]. It uses two pulsed laser transmitters allowing simultaneous measurement of a CO2 absorption line in the 1575 nm band, O2 extinction in the Oxygen A-band, surface height and backscatter profile. The lasers are precisely stepped in wavelength across the CO2 line and an O2 line region during the measurement. The direct detection receiver measures the energies of the laser echoes from the surface along with the range profile of scattering in the path. The column densities for the CO2 and O2 gases are estimated from the ratio of the on- and off-line signals via the integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) technique. The time of flight of the laser pulses is used to estimate the height of the scattering surface and to reject laser photons scattered in the atmosphere. We developed an airborne lidar to demonstrate an early version of the CO2 measurement from the NASA Glenn Lear-25 aircraft. The airborne lidar stepped the pulsed laser's wavelength across the selected CO2 line with 20 wavelength steps per scan. The line scan rate is 450 Hz, the laser pulse widths are 1 usec, and laser pulse energy is 24 uJ. The time resolved laser backscatter is collected by a 20 cm telescope, detected by a NIR photomultiplier and is recorded on every other reading by a photon counting system [2]. During August 2009 we made a series of 2.5 hour long flights and measured the atmospheric CO2 absorption and line shapes using the 1572.33 nm CO2 line. Measurements were made at stepped altitudes from 3-13 km over locations in the US, including the SGP ARM site in Oklahoma, central Illinois, north-eastern North Carolina, and over the Chesapeake Bay and the eastern shore of Virginia. Although the received signal energies were weaker than expected for ASCENDS, clear CO2 line shapes were observed at all altitudes, and some measurements were made

  14. Novel Technique and Technologies for Active Optical Remote Sensing of Greenhouse Gases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Petros, Mulugeta

    2017-01-01

    The societal benefits of understanding climate change through identification of global carbon dioxide sources and sinks led to the desired NASA's active sensing of carbon dioxide emissions over nights, days, and seasons (ASCENDS) space-based missions of global carbon dioxide measurements. For more than 15 years, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have developed several carbon dioxide active remote sensors using the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique operating at the two-micron wavelength. Currently, an airborne two-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is under development. This IPDA lidar measures carbon dioxide as well as water vapor, the dominant interfering molecule on carbon dioxide remote sensing. Advancement of this triple-pulse IPDA lidar development is presented.

  15. Merlin: an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar for global methane remote sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bode, M.; Alpers, M.; Millet, B.; Ehret, G.; Flamant, P.

    2017-11-01

    The Methane Remote Sensing LIDAR Mission (MERLIN) is a joint French-German cooperation on the development, launch and operation of a climate monitoring satellite, executed by the French Space Agency CNES and the German Space Administration DLR.

  16. Merlin: an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar for global methane remote sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bode, M.; Wührer, C.; Alpers, M.; Millet, B.; Ehret, G.; Bousquet, P.

    2017-09-01

    The Methane Remote Sensing LIDAR Mission (MERLIN) is a joint French-German cooperation on the development, launch and operation of a climate monitoring satellite, executed by the French Space Agency CNES and the German Space Administration DLR.

  17. Airborne Carbon Dioxide Laser Absorption Spectrometer for IPDA Measurements of Tropospheric CO2: Recent Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spiers, Gary D.; Menzies, Robert T.

    2008-01-01

    The National Research Council's decadal survey on Earth Science and Applications from Space[1] recommended the Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission for launch in 2013-2016 as a logical follow-on to the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) which is scheduled for launch in late 2008 [2]. The use of a laser absorption measurement technique provides the required ability to make day and night measurements of CO2 over all latitudes and seasons. As a demonstrator for an approach to meeting the instrument needs for the ASCENDS mission we have developed the airborne Carbon Dioxide Laser Absorption Spectrometer (CO2LAS) which uses the Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) Spectrometer [3] technique operating in the 2 micron wavelength region.. During 2006 a short engineering checkout flight of the CO2LAS was conducted and the results presented previously [4]. Several short flight campaigns were conducted during 2007 and we report results from these campaigns.

  18. Test Flight Results of the New Airborne CH4 and CO2 Lidar CHARM-F

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiemle, Christoph; Amediek, Axel; Fix, Andreas; Wirth, Martin; Quatrevalet, Mathieu; Büdenbender, Christian; Ehret, Gerhard

    2017-04-01

    Installed onboard the German research aircraft HALO the integrated-path differential-absorption (IPDA) lidar CHARM-F measures weighted vertical columns of the greenhouse gases CO2 and CH4 below the aircraft and along its flight track aiming at high accuracy and precision. CHARM-F was designed and built as an airborne demonstrator for the space lidar MERLIN, the "Methane Remote Lidar Mission", conducted by the German and French space agencies DLR and CNES with launch foreseen in 2021. It provides excellent opportunities for targeted measurements of regional fluxes and hot spots. We present exemplary measurements from several flights performed in spring 2015 over Central Europe. Our analyses reveal a measurement precision of below 0.5% for 20-km averages. A methane plume from a coal mine ventilation shaft was overflown, as well as a carbon dioxide plume from a large coal-fired power plant. The method to estimate fluxes from the lidar signals will be explained. The results show good agreement with reported emission rates. The airborne measurements are expected to improve the retrieval of future space-borne IPDA lidar systems such as MERLIN. CHARM-F measurements over mountains, water and clouds help assess the strength and variability of backscatter from such challenging surfaces. The IPDA weighting function, or measurement sensitivity, is dependent on atmospheric pressure and temperature. We use ECMWF analyses interpolated in space and time to the aircraft track that provide these auxiliary data. The relatively coarse model representation of orography, with respect to the lidar, causes uncertainties that we assess. CHARM-F will be a key instrument in the upcoming CoMet field experiment, where active and passive remote sensing, as well as in-situ instruments will be installed onboard HALO. The flights are scheduled in April and May 2017 over Central Europe and will focus on point sources such as power plants, coal mines, and landfills, as well as on urban gradients and

  19. First Airborne Lidar Measurements of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Applying the MERLIN Demonstrator CHARM-F

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amediek, Axel; Büdenbender, Christian; Ehret, Gerhard; Fix, Andreas; Gerbig, Christoph; Kiemle, Chritstoph; Quatrevalet, Mathieu; Wirth, Martin

    2016-04-01

    CHARM-F is the new airborne four-wavelengths lidar for simultaneous soundings of atmospheric CO2 and CH4. Due to its high technological conformity it is also a demonstrator for MERLIN, the French-German satellite mission providing a methane lidar. MERLIN's Preliminary Design Review was successfully passed recently. The launch is planned for 2020. First CHARM-F measurements were performed in Spring 2015 onboard the German research aircraft HALO. The aircraft's maximum flight altitude of 15 km and special features of the lidar, such as a relatively large laser ground spot, result in data similar to those obtained by a spaceborne system. The CHARM-F and MERLIN lidars are designed in the IPDA (integrated path differential absorption) configuration using short double pulses, which gives column averaged gas mixing ratios between the system and ground. The successfully completed CHARM-F flight measurements provide a valuable dataset, which supports the retrieval algorithm development for MERLIN notably. Furthermore, the dataset allows detailed analyses of measurement sensitivities, general studies on the IPDA principle and on system design questions. These activities are supported by another instrument onboard the aircraft during the flight campaign: a cavity ring down spectrometer, providing in-situ data of carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor with high accuracy and precision, which is ideal for validation purposes of the aircraft lidar. For the near future, detailed characterizations of CHARM-F are planned, further support of the MERLIN design, as well as the scientific aircraft campaign CoMet.

  20. Sensitivity studies for a space-based methane lidar mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiemle, C.; Quatrevalet, M.; Ehret, G.; Amediek, A.; Fix, A.; Wirth, M.

    2011-10-01

    Methane is the third most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere after water vapour and carbon dioxide. A major handicap to quantify the emissions at the Earth's surface in order to better understand biosphere-atmosphere exchange processes and potential climate feedbacks is the lack of accurate and global observations of methane. Space-based integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar has potential to fill this gap, and a Methane Remote Lidar Mission (MERLIN) on a small satellite in polar orbit was proposed by DLR and CNES in the frame of a German-French climate monitoring initiative. System simulations are used to identify key performance parameters and to find an advantageous instrument configuration, given the environmental, technological, and budget constraints. The sensitivity studies use representative averages of the atmospheric and surface state to estimate the measurement precision, i.e. the random uncertainty due to instrument noise. Key performance parameters for MERLIN are average laser power, telescope size, orbit height, surface reflectance, and detector noise. A modest-size lidar instrument with 0.45 W average laser power and 0.55 m telescope diameter on a 506 km orbit could provide 50-km averaged methane column measurement along the sub-satellite track with a precision of about 1% over vegetation. The use of a methane absorption trough at 1.65 μm improves the near-surface measurement sensitivity and vastly relaxes the wavelength stability requirement that was identified as one of the major technological risks in the pre-phase A studies for A-SCOPE, a space-based IPDA lidar for carbon dioxide at the European Space Agency. Minimal humidity and temperature sensitivity at this wavelength position will enable accurate measurements in tropical wetlands, key regions with largely uncertain methane emissions. In contrast to actual passive remote sensors, measurements in Polar Regions will be possible and biases due to aerosol layers and thin

  1. Sensitivity studies for a space-based methane lidar mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiemle, C.; Quatrevalet, M.; Ehret, G.; Amediek, A.; Fix, A.; Wirth, M.

    2011-06-01

    Methane is the third most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere after water vapour and carbon dioxide. A major handicap to quantify the emissions at the Earth's surface in order to better understand biosphere-atmosphere exchange processes and potential climate feedbacks is the lack of accurate and global observations of methane. Space-based integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar has potential to fill this gap, and a Methane Remote Lidar Mission (MERLIN) on a small satellite in Polar orbit was proposed by DLR and CNES in the frame of a German-French climate monitoring initiative. System simulations are used to identify key performance parameters and to find an advantageous instrument configuration, given the environmental, technological, and budget constraints. The sensitivity studies use representative averages of the atmospheric and surface state to estimate the measurement precision, i.e. the random uncertainty due to instrument noise. Key performance parameters for MERLIN are average laser power, telescope size, orbit height, surface reflectance, and detector noise. A modest-size lidar instrument with 0.45 W average laser power and 0.55 m telescope diameter on a 506 km orbit could provide 50-km averaged methane column measurement along the sub-satellite track with a precision of about 1 % over vegetation. The use of a methane absorption trough at 1.65 μm improves the near-surface measurement sensitivity and vastly relaxes the wavelength stability requirement that was identified as one of the major technological risks in the pre-phase A studies for A-SCOPE, a space-based IPDA lidar for carbon dioxide at the European Space Agency. Minimal humidity and temperature sensitivity at this wavelength position will enable accurate measurements in tropical wetlands, key regions with largely uncertain methane emissions. In contrast to actual passive remote sensors, measurements in Polar Regions will be possible and biases due to aerosol layers and thin

  2. The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stein, Thomas; Gopala Krishna, Barla; Crichton, Daniel J.

    2016-07-01

    The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) is a close association of partners with the aim of improving the quality of planetary science data and services to the end users of space based instrumentation. The specific mission of the IPDA is to facilitate global access to, and exchange of, high quality scientific data products managed across international boundaries. Ensuring proper capture, accessibility and availability of the data is the task of the individual member space agencies. The IPDA is focused on developing an international standard that allows discovery, query, access, and usage of such data across international planetary data archive systems. While trends in other areas of space science are concentrating on the sharing of science data from diverse standards and collection methods, the IPDA concentrates on promoting governing data standards that drive common methods for collecting and describing planetary science data across the international community. This approach better supports the long term goal of easing data sharing across system and agency boundaries. An initial starting point for developing such a standard will be internationalization of NASA's Planetary Data System's (PDS) PDS4 standard. The IPDA was formed in 2006 with the purpose of adopting standards and developing collaborations across agencies to ensure data is captured in common formats. It has grown to a dozen member agencies represented by a number of different groups through the IPDA Steering Committee. Member agencies include: Armenian Astronomical Society, China National Space Agency (CNSA), European Space Agency (ESA), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Italian Space Agency (ASI), Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), National Air and Space Administration (NASA), National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), Space Research Institute (IKI), UAE Space Agency, and UK Space Agency. The IPDA Steering Committee oversees the execution of

  3. Pulsed Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption and Range During the ASCENDS 2009-2011 Airborne Campaigns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, J. B.; Weaver, C. J.; Riris, H.; Mao, J.; Sun, X.; Allan, G. R.; Hasselbrack, W. E.; Browell, E. V.

    2012-01-01

    We have developed a pulsed lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS mission and have demonstrated the CO2 and O2 measurements from aircraft. Our technique uses two pulsed lasers allowing simultaneous measurement of a single CO2 absorption line near 1572 nm, O2 extinction in the Oxygen A-band, surface height and backscatter profile. The lasers are stepped in wavelength across the CO2 line and an O2 line doublet during the measurement. The column densities for the CO2 and O2 are estimated from the differential optical depths (DOD) of the scanned absorption lines via the IPDA technique. For the 2009 ASCENDS campaign we flew the CO2 lidar only on a Lear-25 aircraft, and measured the absorption line shapes of the CO2 line using 20 wavelength samples per scan. Measurements were made at stepped altitudes from 3 to 12.6 km over the Lamont OK, central Illinois, North Carolina, and over the Virginia Eastern Shore. Although the received signal energies were weaker than expected for ASCENDS, clear C02 line shapes were observed at all altitudes. Most flights had 5-6 altitude steps with 200-300 seconds of recorded measurements per step. We averaged every 10 seconds of measurements and used a cross-correlation approach to estimate the range to the scattering surface and the echo pulse energy at each wavelength. We then solved for the best-fit CO2 absorption line shape, and calculated the DOD of the fitted CO2 line, and computed its statistics at the various altitude steps. We compared them to CO2 optical depths calculated from spectroscopy based on HITRAN 2008 and the column number densities calculated from the airborne in-situ readings. The 2009 measurements have been analyzed in detail and they were similar on all flights. The results show clear CO2 line shape and absorption signals, which follow the expected changes with aircraft altitude from 3 to 13 km. They showed the expected nearly the linear dependence of DOD vs

  4. Performance of Charm-F - the airborne demonstrator for Merlin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amediek, Axel; Ehret, Gerhard; Fix, Andreas; Wirth, Martin; Büdenbender, Christian; Quatrevalet, Mathieu; Kiemle, Christoph

    2018-04-01

    In 2015, the new airborne lidar CHARM-F for the measurement of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane was set into operation. It is an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar designed for the use onboard the German research aircraft HALO. Due to its high technological similarity to the MERLIN space lidar, it is also a demonstrator for the space system. Here, we report on CHARM-F's technology, the experiences with the IPDA lidar method and the achieved performance.

  5. HgCdTe Avalanche Photodiode Detectors for Airborne and Spaceborne Lidar at Infrared Wavelengths

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sun, Xiaoli; Abshire, James B.; Beck, Jeffrey D.; Mitra, Pradip; Reiff, Kirk; Yang, Guangning

    2017-01-01

    We report results from characterizing the HgCdTe avalanche photodiode (APD) sensorchip assemblies (SCA) developed for lidar at infrared wavelength using the high density vertically integrated photodiodes (HDVIP) technique. These devices demonstrated high quantum efficiency, typically greater than 90 between 0.8 micrometers and the cut-off wavelength, greater than 600 APD gain, near unity excess noise factor, 6-10 MHz electrical bandwidth and less than 0.5 fW/Hz(exp.1/2) noise equivalent power (NEP). The detectors provide linear analog output with a dynamic range of 2-3 orders of magnitude at a fixed APD gain without averaging, and over 5 orders of magnitude by adjusting the APD and preamplifier gain settings. They have been successfully used in airborne CO2 and CH4 integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar as a precursor for space lidar applications.

  6. Analysis of Pulsed Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption During the ASCENDS 2009-2011 Airborne Campaigns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, J. B.; Weaver, C. J.; Riris, H.; Mao, J.; Sun, X; Allan, G. R.; Hasselbrack, W. E.; Browell, E. V.

    2012-01-01

    We have developed a pulsed lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS mission and have demonstrated the CO2 and O2 measurements from aircraft. Our technique uses two pulsed lasers allowing simultaneous measurement of a single CO2 absorption line near 1572 nm, O2 extinction in the Oxygen A-band, surface height and backscatter profile. The lasers are stepped in wavelength across the CO2 line and an O2 line doublet during the measurement. The column densities for the CO2 and O2 are estimated from the differential optical depths (DOD) of the scanned absorption lines via the IPDA technique. For the 2009 ASCENDS campaign we flew the CO2 lidar on a Lear-25 aircraft, and measured the absorption line shapes of the CO2 line using 20 wavelength samples per scan. Measurements were made at stepped altitudes from 3 to 12.6 km over the Lamont OK, central Illinois, North Carolina, and over the Virginia Eastern Shore. Although the received signal energies were weaker than expected for ASCENDS, clear CO2 line shapes were observed at all altitudes. Most flights had 5-6 altitude steps with 200-300 seconds of recorded measurements per step. We averaged every 10 seconds of measurements and used a cross-correlation approach to estimate the range to the scattering surface and the echo pulse energy at each wavelength. We then solved for the best-fit CO2 absorption line shape, and calculated the DOD of the fitted CO2 line, and computed its statistics at the various altitude steps. We compared them to CO2 optical depths calculated from spectroscopy based on HITRAN 2008 and the column number densities calculated from the airborne in-situ readings. The 2009 measurements have been analyzed and they were similar on all flights. The results show clear CO2 line shape and absorption signals, which follow the expected changes with aircraft altitude from 3 to 13 km. They showed the expected nearly the linear dependence of DOD vs altitude. The

  7. Double-pulse 1.57  μm integrated path differential absorption lidar ground validation for atmospheric carbon dioxide measurement.

    PubMed

    Du, Juan; Zhu, Yadan; Li, Shiguang; Zhang, Junxuan; Sun, Yanguang; Zang, Huaguo; Liu, Dan; Ma, Xiuhua; Bi, Decang; Liu, Jiqiao; Zhu, Xiaolei; Chen, Weibiao

    2017-09-01

    A ground-based double-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) instrument for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration measurements at 1572 nm has been developed. A ground experiment was implemented under different conditions with a known wall located about 1.17 km away acting as the scattering hard target. Off-/offline testing of a laser transmitter was conducted to estimate the instrument systematic and random errors. Results showed a differential absorption optical depth (DAOD) offset of 0.0046 existing in the instrument. On-/offline testing was done to achieve the actual DAOD resulting from the CO 2 absorption. With 18 s pulses average, it demonstrated that a CO 2 concentration measurement of 432.71±2.42  ppm with 0.56% uncertainty was achieved. The IPDA ranging led to a measurement uncertainty of 1.5 m.

  8. Measurement of Atmospheric CO2 Column Concentrations to Cloud Tops With a Pulsed Multi-Wavelength Airborne Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mao, Jianping; Ramanathan, Anand; Abshire, James B.; Kawa, Stephan R.; Riris, Haris; Allan, Graham R.; Rodriguez, Michael R.; Hasselbrack, William E.; Sun, Xiaoli; Numata, Kenji; hide

    2018-01-01

    We have measured the column-averaged atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio to a variety of cloud tops by using an airborne pulsed multi-wavelength integrated-path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. Airborne measurements were made at altitudes up to 13 km during the 2011, 2013 and 2014 NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) science campaigns flown in the United States West and Midwest and were compared to those from an in situ sensor. Analysis of the lidar backscatter profiles shows the average cloud top reflectance was approx. 5% for the CO2 measurement at 1572.335 nm except to cirrus clouds, which had lower reflectance. The energies for 1 micro-s wide laser pulses reflected from cloud tops were sufficient to allow clear identification of CO2 absorption line shape and then to allow retrievals of atmospheric column CO2 from the aircraft to cloud tops more than 90% of the time. Retrievals from the CO2 measurements to cloud tops had minimal bias but larger standard deviations when compared to those made to the ground, depending on cloud top roughness and reflectance. The measurements show this new capability helps resolve CO2 horizontal and vertical gradients in the atmosphere. When used with nearby full-column measurements to ground, the CO2 measurements to cloud tops can be used to estimate the partial-column CO2 concentration below clouds, which should lead to better estimates of surface carbon sources and sinks. This additional capability of the range-resolved CO2 IPDA lidar technique provides a new benefit for studying the carbon cycle in future airborne and space-based CO2 missions.

  9. Measurement of atmospheric CO2 column concentrations to cloud tops with a pulsed multi-wavelength airborne lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Jianping; Ramanathan, Anand; Abshire, James B.; Kawa, Stephan R.; Riris, Haris; Allan, Graham R.; Rodriguez, Michael; Hasselbrack, William E.; Sun, Xiaoli; Numata, Kenji; Chen, Jeff; Choi, Yonghoon; Yang, Mei Ying Melissa

    2018-01-01

    We have measured the column-averaged atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio to a variety of cloud tops by using an airborne pulsed multi-wavelength integrated-path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. Airborne measurements were made at altitudes up to 13 km during the 2011, 2013 and 2014 NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) science campaigns flown in the United States West and Midwest and were compared to those from an in situ sensor. Analysis of the lidar backscatter profiles shows the average cloud top reflectance was ˜ 5 % for the CO2 measurement at 1572.335 nm except to cirrus clouds, which had lower reflectance. The energies for 1 µs wide laser pulses reflected from cloud tops were sufficient to allow clear identification of CO2 absorption line shape and then to allow retrievals of atmospheric column CO2 from the aircraft to cloud tops more than 90 % of the time. Retrievals from the CO2 measurements to cloud tops had minimal bias but larger standard deviations when compared to those made to the ground, depending on cloud top roughness and reflectance. The measurements show this new capability helps resolve CO2 horizontal and vertical gradients in the atmosphere. When used with nearby full-column measurements to ground, the CO2 measurements to cloud tops can be used to estimate the partial-column CO2 concentration below clouds, which should lead to better estimates of surface carbon sources and sinks. This additional capability of the range-resolved CO2 IPDA lidar technique provides a new benefit for studying the carbon cycle in future airborne and space-based CO2 missions.

  10. Advances in High Energy Solid-State Pulsed 2-Micron Lidar Development for Ground and Airborne Wind, Water Vapor and CO2 Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer; Kavaya, Michael J.; Remus, Ruben

    2015-01-01

    NASA Langley Research Center has a long history of developing 2-micron lasers. From fundamental spectroscopy research, theoretical prediction of new materials, laser demonstration and engineering of lidar systems, it has been a very successful program spanning around two decades. Successful development of 2-micron lasers has led to development of a state-of-the-art compact lidar transceiver for a pulsed coherent Doppler lidar system for wind measurement with an unprecedented laser pulse energy of 250 millijoules in a rugged package. This high pulse energy is produced by a Ho:Tm:LuLiF laser with an optical amplifier. While the lidar is meant for use as an airborne instrument, ground-based tests were carried out to characterize performance of the lidar. Atmospheric measurements will be presented, showing the lidar's capability for wind measurement in the atmospheric boundary layer and free troposphere. Lidar wind measurements are compared to a balloon sonde, showing good agreement between the two sensors. Similar architecture has been used to develop a high energy, Ho:Tm:YLF double-pulsed 2-micron Integrated Differential Absorption Lidar (IPDA) instrument based on direct detection technique that provides atmospheric column CO2 measurements. This instrument has been successfully used to measure atmospheric CO2 column density initially from a ground mobile lidar trailer, and then it was integrated on B-200 plane and 20 hours of flight measurement were made from an altitude ranging 1500 meters to 8000 meters. These measurements were compared to in-situ measurements and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) airborne flask measurement to derive the dry mixing ratio of the column CO2 by reflecting the signal by various reflecting surfaces such as land, vegetation, ocean surface, snow and sand. The lidar measurements when compared showed a very agreement with in-situ and airborne flask measurement. NASA Langley Research Center is currently developing a

  11. Double-Pulse Two-Micron IPDA Lidar Simulation for Airborne Carbon Dioxide Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta

    2015-01-01

    An advanced double-pulsed 2-micron integrated path differential absorption lidar has been developed at NASA Langley Research Center for measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide. The instrument utilizes a state-of-the-art 2-micron laser transmitter with tunable on-line wavelength and advanced receiver. Instrument modeling and airborne simulations are presented in this paper. Focusing on random errors, results demonstrate instrument capabilities of performing precise carbon dioxide differential optical depth measurement with less than 3% random error for single-shot operation from up to 11 km altitude. This study is useful for defining CO2 measurement weighting, instrument setting, validation and sensitivity trade-offs.

  12. The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA): Activities in 2010-2012

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crichton, Daniel; Beebe, Reta; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Sarkissian, Alain; Capria, Maria Teresa; Hughes, Steven; Osuna, Pedro

    2012-07-01

    The IPDA is an international collaboration of space agencies with a mission of providing access to scientific data returned from solar system missions archived at international data centers. In order to improve access and share scientific data, the IPDA was founded to develop data and software standards. The IPDA has focused on promoting standards that drive common methods for collecting and describing planetary science data. An initial starting point for developing such a standard has been the internationalization of NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) standard, which has become a de-facto standard. The IPDA has also focused on developing software standards that promote interoperability through the use of common software protocols allowing agencies to link their systems together. The IPDA has made significant progress since its inaugural meeting in 2006 adopting standards and developing collaborations across agencies to ensure data is captured in common formats. It has also grown to approximately eight agencies represented by a number of different groups through the IPDA Steering Committee [1]. The IPDA Steering Committee oversees the execution of projects. Over the past two years, the IPDA Steering Committee has conducted a number of focused projects around the development of these standards to enable interoperability, construction of compatible archives, and the operation of the IPDA as a whole. These projects have helped to establish the IPDA and to bring together the collaboration. Two key projects have been: development of a common protocol for data exchange, the Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP); and collaboration with the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) on the next generation PDS standards, PDS4.. Both of these are progressing well and have draft standards that are now being tested. More recently, the IPDA has formed a Technical Experts Group (TEG) that is responsible for the technical architecture and implementation of the projects. As agencies

  13. Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Measurements from Air and Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Browell, E. V.; Ismail, S.; Grant, W. B.

    1998-01-01

    Differential absorption lidar (DIAL) systems have been used for the measurement of ozone, water vapor, and aerosols from aircraft platforms for over 18 years, yielding new insights into atmospheric chemistry, composition, and dynamics in large-scale field experiments conducted all over the world. The successful deployment of the lidar in-space technology experiment (LITE) in September 1994 demonstrated that space-based lidars can also collect valuable information on the global atmosphere. This paper reviews some of the contributions of the NASA Langley Research Center's airborne ozone and water vapor DIAL systems and space-based LITE system to the understanding of the atmosphere and discusses the feasibility and advantages of putting DIAL systems in space for routine atmospheric measurements of ozone and/or water vapor and aerosols and clouds. The technology and applications of the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique have progressed significantly since the first DIAL measurements of Schotland, and airborne DIAL measurements of ozone and water vapor are frequently being made in a wide range of field experiments. In addition, plans are underway to develop DIAL systems for use on satellites for continuous global measurements. This paper will highlight the history of airborne lidar and DIAL systems, summarize the major accomplishments of the NASA Langley DIAL program, and discuss specifications and goals for DIAL systems in space.

  14. Differential absorption and Raman lidar for water vapor profile measurements - A review

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grant, William B.

    1991-01-01

    Differential absorption lidar and Raman lidar have been applied to the range-resolved measurements of water vapor density for more than 20 years. Results have been obtained using both lidar techniques that have led to improved understanding of water vapor distributions in the atmosphere. This paper reviews the theory of the measurements, including the sources of systematic and random error; the progress in lidar technology and techniques during that period, including a brief look at some of the lidar systems in development or proposed; and the steps being taken to improve such lidar systems.

  15. Carbon Dioxide Laser Absorption Spectrometer (CO2LAS) Aircraft Measurements of CO2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Christensen, Lance E.; Spiers, Gary D.; Menzies, Robert T.; Jacob, Joseph C.; Hyon, Jason

    2011-01-01

    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Carbon Dioxide Laser Absorption Spectrometer (CO2LAS) utilizes Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) at 2.05 microns to obtain CO2 column mixing ratios weighted heavily in the boundary layer. CO2LAS employs a coherent detection receiver and continuous-wave Th:Ho:YLF laser transmitters with output powers around 100 milliwatts. An offset frequency-locking scheme coupled to an absolute frequency reference enables the frequencies of the online and offline lasers to be held to within 200 kHz of desired values. We describe results from 2009 field campaigns when CO2LAS flew on the Twin Otter. We also describe spectroscopic studies aimed at uncovering potential biases in lidar CO2 retrievals at 2.05 microns.

  16. A High Spectral Resolution Lidar Based on Absorption Filter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Piironen, Paivi

    1996-01-01

    A High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) that uses an iodine absorption filter and a tunable, narrow bandwidth Nd:YAG laser is demonstrated. The iodine absorption filter provides better performance than the Fabry-Perot etalon that it replaces. This study presents an instrument design that can be used a the basis for a design of a simple and robust lidar for the measurement of the optical properties of the atmosphere. The HSRL provides calibrated measurements of the optical properties of the atmospheric aerosols. These observations include measurements of aerosol backscatter cross sections, optical depth, backscatter phase function depolarization, and multiple scattering. The errors in the HSRL data are discussed and the effects of different errors on the measured optical parameters are shown.

  17. Performance modeling for A-SCOPE: a space-borne lidar measuring atmospheric CO2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caron, Jérôme; Durand, Yannig; Bezy, Jean-Loup; Meynart, Roland

    2009-09-01

    A-SCOPE (Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth) has been one of the six candidates for the third cycle of the Earth Explorer Core missions, selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for assessment studies. Earth Explorer missions focus on the science and research aspects of ESA's Living Planet Programme. A-SCOPE mission aims at observing atmospheric CO2 for a better understanding of the carbon cycle. Knowledge about the spatial distribution of sources and sinks of CO2 with unprecedented accuracy will provide urgently needed information about the global carbon cycle. A-SCOPE mission encompasses a new approach to observe the Earth from space based on an IPDA (Integrated Path Differential Absorption) Lidar. Based on the known principle of a differential measurement technique, the IPDA lidar relies on the measurement of the laser echoes reflected by hard targets as the ground or the top of the vegetation. Such a time-gated technique is a promising way to overcome the sources of systematic errors inherent to passive missions. To be fully exploited, it however translates into stringent instrument requirements and requires a dedicated performance assessment. In this paper, the A-SCOPE instrument concept is first presented, with the aim of summarizing some important outcomes from the industrial assessment studies. After a discussion of the mission requirements and measurement principles, an overview is given about the instrument architecture. Then the instrument performance is reported, together with a detailed discussion about sources of systematic errors, which pose the strongest technical challenges.

  18. An overview of NASA's ASCENDS Mission's Lidar Measurement Requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abshire, J. B.; Browell, E. V.; Menzies, R. T.; Lin, B.; Spiers, G. D.; Ismail, S.

    2014-12-01

    The objectives of NASA's ASCENDS mission are to improve the knowledge of global CO2 sources and sinks by precisely measuring the tropospheric column abundance of atmospheric CO2 and O2. The mission will use a continuously operating nadir-pointed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar in a polar orbit. The lidar offers a number of important new capabilities and will measure atmospheric CO2 globally over a wide range of challenging conditions, including at night, at high latitudes, through hazy and thin cloud conditions, and to cloud tops. The laser source enables a measurement of range, so that the absorption path length to the scattering surface will be always accurately known. The lidar approach also measures consistently in a nadir-zenith path and the narrow laser linewidth allows weighting the measurement to the lower troposphere. Using these measurements with atmospheric and flux models will allow improved estimates of CO2 fluxes and hence better understanding of the processes that exchange CO2 between the surface and atmosphere. The ASCENDS formulation team has developed a preliminary set of requirements for the lidar measurements. These were developed based on experience gained from the numerous ASCENDS airborne campaigns that have used different candidate lidar measurement techniques. They also take into account the complexity of making precise measurement of atmospheric gas columns when viewing the Earth from space. Some of the complicating factors are the widely varying reflectance and topographic heights of the Earth's land and ocean surfaces, the variety of cloud types, and the degree of cloud and aerosol absorption and scattering in the atmosphere. The requirements address the precision and bias in the measured column mixing ratio, the dynamic range of the expected surface reflected signal, the along-track sampling resolution, measurements made through thin clouds, measurements to forested and slope surfaces, range precision, measurements

  19. Pulsed Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Concentration in the ASCENDS 2014 Airborne Campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abshire, J. B.; Ramanathan, A. K.; Mao, J.; Riris, H.; Allan, G. R.; Hasselbrack, W. E.; Chen, J. R.

    2015-12-01

    We report progress in demonstrating a pulsed, wavelength-resolved IPDA lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS mission. The CO2 lidar flies on NASA's DC-8 aircraft and measures the atmospheric backscatter profiles and shape of the 1572.33 nm absorption line by using 30 wavelength samples distributed across the lube. Our post-flight analysis estimates the lidar range and pulse energies at each wavelength 10 times per second. The retrievals solve for the optimum CO2 absorption line shape and the column average CO2 concentrations using radiative transfer calculations based on HITRAN, the aircraft altitude, range to the scattering surface, and the atmospheric conditions. We compare these to CO2 concentrations sampled by in-situ sensors on the aircraft. The number of wavelength samples can be reduced in the retrievals. During the ASCENDS airborne campaign in 2013 two flights were made in February over snow in the Rocky Mountains and the Central Plains allowing measurement of snow-covered surface reflectivity. Several improvements were made to the lidar for the 2014 campaign. These included using a new step-locked laser diode source, and incorporating a new HgCdTe APD detector and analog digitizer into the lidar receiver. Testing showed this detector had higher sensitivity, analog response, and a more linear dynamic range than the PMT detector used previously. In 2014 flights were made in late August and early September over the California Central Valley, the redwood forests along the California coast, two desert areas in Nevada and California, and two flights above growing agriculture in Iowa. Two flights were also made under OCO-2 satellite ground tracks. Analyses show the retrievals of lidar range and CO2 column absorption, and mixing ratio worked well when measuring over topography with rapidly changing height and reflectivity, and through thin clouds and aerosol scattering. The lidar measurements clearly

  20. Atmospheric CO2 Concentration Measurements with Clouds from an Airborne Lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, J.; Abshire, J. B.; Kawa, S. R.; Riris, H.; Allan, G. R.; Hasselbrack, W. E.; Numata, K.; Chen, J. R.; Sun, X.; DiGangi, J. P.; Choi, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Globally distributed atmospheric CO2 concentration measurements with high precision, low bias and full seasonal sampling are crucial to advance carbon cycle sciences. However, two thirds of the Earth's surface is typically covered by clouds, and passive remote sensing approaches from space are limited to cloud-free scenes. NASA Goddard is developing a pulsed, integrated-path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar approach to measure atmospheric column CO2 concentrations, XCO2, from space as a candidate for NASA's ASCENDS mission. Measurements of time-resolved laser backscatter profiles from the atmosphere also allow this technique to estimate XCO2 and range to cloud tops in addition to those to the ground with precise knowledge of the photon path-length. We demonstrate this measurement capability using airborne lidar measurements from summer 2017 ASCENDS airborne science campaign in Alaska. We show retrievals of XCO2 to ground and to a variety of cloud tops. We will also demonstrate how the partial column XCO2 to cloud tops and cloud slicing approach help resolving vertical and horizontal gradient of CO2 in cloudy conditions. The XCO2 retrievals from the lidar are validated against in situ measurements and compared to the Goddard Parameterized Chemistry Transport Model (PCTM) simulations. Adding this measurement capability to the future lidar mission for XCO2 will provide full global and seasonal data coverage and some information about vertical structure of CO2. This unique facility is expected to benefit atmospheric transport process studies, carbon data assimilation in models, and global and regional carbon flux estimation.

  1. High Energy 2-Micron Solid-State Laser Transmitter for NASA's Airborne CO2 Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Bai, Yingxin

    2012-01-01

    A 2-micron pulsed, Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar instrument for ground and airborne atmospheric CO2 concentration measurements via direct detection method is being developed at NASA Langley Research Center. This instrument will provide an alternate approach to measure atmospheric CO2 concentrations with significant advantages. A high energy pulsed approach provides high-precision measurement capability by having high signal-to-noise level and unambiguously eliminates the contamination from aerosols and clouds that can bias the IPDA measurement.

  2. A Novel Triple-Pulsed 2-micrometer Lidar for Simultaneous and Independent CO2 and H2O Column Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Singh, Upendra; Petros, Mulugeta; Refaat, Tamer

    2015-01-01

    The study of global warming needs precisely and accurately measuring greenhouse gases concentrations in the atmosphere. CO2 and H2O are important greenhouse gases that significantly contribute to the carbon cycle and global radiation budget on Earth. NRC Decadal Survey recommends a mission for Active Sensing of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) over Nights, Days and Seasons (ASCENDS). 2 micron laser is a viable IPDA transmitter to measure CO2 and H2O column density from space. The objective is to demonstrate a first airborne direct detection 2 micron IPDA lidar for CO2 and H2O measurements.

  3. Lidar measurements of the column CO2 mixing ratio made by NASA Goddard's CO2 Sounder during the NASA ASCENDS 2014 Airborne campaign.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramanathan, A. K.; Mao, J.; Abshire, J. B.; Kawa, S. R.

    2015-12-01

    Remote sensing measurements of CO2 from space can help improve our understanding of the carbon cycle and help constrain the global carbon budget. However, such measurements need to be sufficiently accurate to detect small (1 ppm) changes in the CO2 mixing ratio (XCO2) against a large background (~ 400 ppm). Satellite measurements of XCO2 using passive spectrometers, such as those from the Japanese GOSAT (Greenhouse gas Observing Satellite) and the NASA OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) are limited to daytime sunlit portions of the Earth and are susceptible to biases from clouds and aerosols. For this reason, NASA commissioned the formulation study of ASCENDS a space-based lidar mission. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's CO2 Sounder lidar is one candidate approach for the ASCENDS mission. The NASA GSFC CO2 Sounder measures the CO2 mixing ratio using a pulsed multi-wavelength integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) approach. The CO2 Sounder has flown in the 2011, 2013 and 2014 ASCENDS airborne campaigns over the continental US, and has produced measurements in close agreement with in situ measurements of the CO2 column. In 2014, the CO2 Sounder upgraded its laser with a precision step-locked diode laser source to improve the lidar wavelength position accuracy. It also improved its optical receiver with a low-noise, high efficiency, HgCdTe avalanche photo diode detector. The combination of these two technologies enabled lidar XCO2 measurements with unprecedented accuracy. In this presentation, we show analysis from the ASCENDS 2014 field campaign, exploring: (1) Horizontal XCO2 gradients measured by the lidar, (2) Comparisons of lidar XCO2 measurements against the Parameterized Chemistry Transport Model (PCTM), and (3) Lidar column water vapor measurements using a HDO absorption line that occurs next to the CO2 absorption line. This can reduce the uncertainty in the dry air column used in XCO2 retrievals.

  4. Differential Absorption Lidar to Measure Subhourly Variation of Tropospheric Ozone Profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuang, Shi; Burris, John F.; Newchurch, Michael J.; Johnson, Steve; Long, Stephania

    2011-01-01

    A tropospheric ozone Differential Absorption Lidar system, developed jointly by The University of Alabama in Huntsville and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is making regular observations of ozone vertical distributions between 1 and 8 km with two receivers under both daytime and nighttime conditions using lasers at 285 and 291 nm. This paper describes the lidar system and analysis technique with some measurement examples. An iterative aerosol correction procedure reduces the retrieval error arising from differential aerosol backscatter in the lower troposphere. Lidar observations with coincident ozonesonde flights demonstrate that the retrieval accuracy ranges from better than 10% below 4 km to better than 20% below 8 km with 750-m vertical resolution and 10-min 17 temporal integration.

  5. The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA): Overview of the Activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkissian, A.; Gopala Krishna, B.; Crichton, D. J.; Beebe, R.; Yamamoto, Y.; Arviset, C.; Di Capria, M. T.; Mickaelian, A. M.; IPDA

    2016-06-01

    An overview of activities of the IPDA is presented in the frame of the recently growing number of successful space experiments dedicated to planetary observation, with a significantly growing number of people involved in such activity and with significantly growing numbers of web services willing to share data and services in our research domain, but also, in close by domains such as astronomy, heliophysics and atmospheric sciences for the Earth. An overview of a number of space agencies and organizations is given. In total, IPDA consists of 13 national organizations: NASA (USA), CNES (France), ESA (Europe), STFC (UK), JAXA (Japan), ASI (Italy), ISRO (India), DLR (Germany), RKA (Russia), RCSA (China), FMI (Finland), ArSA (Armenia) and United Arab Emirates. Some projects of 2015 in frame of the IPDA activities are described.

  6. Differential Absorption Lidar to Measure Sub-Hourly Variation of Tropospheric Ozone Profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuang, Shi; Burris, John F.; Newchurch, Michael J.; Johnson, Steve; Long, Stephanie

    2009-01-01

    A tropospheric ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system, developed jointly by the University of Alabama at Huntsville and NASA, is making regular observations of ozone vertical distributions between 1 and 8 km with two receivers under both daytime and nighttime conditions using lasers at 285 and 291 nm. This paper describes the lidar system and analysis technique with some measurement examples. An iterative aerosol correction procedure reduces the retrieval error arising from differential aerosol backscatter in the lower troposphere. Lidar observations with coincident ozonesonde flights demonstrate that the retrieval accuracy ranges from better than 10% below 4 km to better than 20% below 8 km with 750-m vertical resolution and 10-min temporal integration

  7. Atmospheric pressure and temperature profiling using near IR differential absorption lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korb, C. L.; Schwemmer, G. K.; Dombrowski, M.; Weng, C. Y.

    1983-01-01

    The present investigation is concerned with differential absorption lidar techniques for remotely measuring the atmospheric temperature and pressure profile, surface pressure, and cloud top pressure-height. The procedure used in determining the pressure is based on the conduction of high-resolution measurements of absorption in the wings of lines in the oxygen A band. Absorption with respect to these areas is highly pressure sensitive in connection with the mechanism of collisional line broadening. The method of temperature measurement utilizes a determination of the absorption at the center of a selected line in the oxygen A band which originates from a quantum state with high ground state energy.

  8. Global observations of atmospheric CH4 by Integrated Path Differential-Absorption Lidar: the French-German Climate Monitoring Initiative

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehret, Gerhard; Flamant, Pierre; Ciais, Philippe; Fabien, Gibert; Amediek, Axel; Kiemle, Christoph; Fix, Andreas; Quatrevalet, Mathieu; Wirth, Martin

    Atmospheric methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas, which has a Greenhouse Warming Potential (GWP) of 25 relative to CO2 on a time scale of 100 years. Despite the fact that the imbalance between the sources and sinks has decreased in the early 1990's to an insignificant value, a significant renewal of the CH4 growth is reported in recent years. Questions arise whether an increase of atmospheric CH4 might be fostered through melting of permafrost soil in the Arctic region or arise from changes of the tropical wetlands which comprise the biggest natural methane source. Another reason could be the change in the agro-industrial era of predominant human influence or the very large deposits of CH4 as gas hydrates on ocean shelves that are vulnerable to ocean warming. The French-German Climate Monitoring Initiative, which has recently been selected to undergo Phase0/A studies in a joint project by the space agencies CNES (France)and DLR (Germany), targets on satellite observations of atmospheric CH4 for the improvement of our knowledge on regional to synoptic scale CH4 sources on a global basis. As a novel feature, the observational instrument of this mission will be an Integrated Path Differential-Absorption (IPDA) Lidar system embarked on board of the French Myriade platform for the measurement of the column-weighted dry-air mixing ratio of CH4 in a nadir viewing configuration. This data will be provided by the lidar technique with no bias due to particles scattering in the light path and can directly be used as input for flux inversion models. In our presentation we will discuss the observational principle and the sampling strategy of the envisaged mission in connection to the needs for CH4 flux inversion experiments. In addition, we report on supporting campaign activities on airborne measurements of Lidar reflectivity data in the respective spectral region. The airborne data is of prime interest for the generation of pseudo CH4 data examples using the satellite

  9. Remote sensing of methane emissions by combining optical similitude absorption spectroscopy (OSAS) and lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galtier, Sandrine; Anselmo, Christophe; Welschinger, Jean-Yves; Cariou, Jean-Pierre; Sivignon, Jean-François; Miffre, Alain; Rairoux, Patrick

    2018-04-01

    Monitoring the emission of gases is difficult to achieve in industrial sites and in environments presenting poor infrastructures. Hence, robust methodologies should be developed and coupled to Lidar technology to allow remote sensing of gas emission. OSAS is a new methodology to evaluate gas concentration emission from spectrally integrated differential absorption measurements. Proof of concept of OSAS-Lidar for CH4 emission monitoring is here presented.

  10. Airborne Measurements of CO2 Column Absorption and Range Using a Pulsed Direct-Detection Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, James B.; Riris, Haris; Weaver, Clark J.; Mao, Jianping; Allan, Graham R.; Hasselbrack, William E.; Browell, Edward V.

    2013-01-01

    We report on airborne CO2 column absorption measurements made in 2009 with a pulsed direct-detection lidar operating at 1572.33 nm and utilizing the integrated path differential absorption technique. We demonstrated these at different altitudes from an aircraft in July and August in flights over four locations in the central and eastern United States. The results show clear CO2 line shape and absorption signals, which follow the expected changes with aircraft altitude from 3 to 13 km. The lidar measurement statistics were also calculated for each flight as a function of altitude. The optical depth varied nearly linearly with altitude, consistent with calculations based on atmospheric models. The scatter in the optical depth measurements varied with aircraft altitude as expected, and the median measurement precisions for the column varied from 0.9 to 1.2 ppm. The altitude range with the lowest scatter was 810 km, and the majority of measurements for the column within it had precisions between 0.2 and 0.9 ppm.

  11. Differential absorption lidar measurements of atmospheric temperature and pressure profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korb, C. L.

    1981-01-01

    The theory and methodology of using differential absorption lidar techniques for the remote measurement of atmospheric pressure profiles, surface pressure, and temperature profiles from ground, air, and space-based platforms are presented. Pressure measurements are effected by means of high resolution measurement of absorption at the edges of the oxygen A band lines where absorption is pressure dependent due to collisional line broadening. Temperature is assessed using measurements of the absorption at the center of the oxygen A band line originating from a quantum state with high ground state energy. The population of the state is temperature dependent, allowing determination of the temperature through the Boltzmann term. The results of simulations of the techniques using Voigt profile and variational analysis are reported for ground-based, airborne, and Shuttle-based systems. Accuracies in the 0.5-1.0 K and 0.1-0.3% range are projected.

  12. Error Reduction Methods for Integrated-path Differential-absorption Lidar Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Jeffrey R.; Numata, Kenji; Wu, Stewart T.

    2012-01-01

    We report new modeling and error reduction methods for differential-absorption optical-depth (DAOD) measurements of atmospheric constituents using direct-detection integrated-path differential-absorption lidars. Errors from laser frequency noise are quantified in terms of the line center fluctuation and spectral line shape of the laser pulses, revealing relationships verified experimentally. A significant DAOD bias is removed by introducing a correction factor. Errors from surface height and reflectance variations can be reduced to tolerable levels by incorporating altimetry knowledge and "log after averaging", or by pointing the laser and receiver to a fixed surface spot during each wavelength cycle to shorten the time of "averaging before log".

  13. Development of wavelength locking circuit for 1.53 micron water vapor monitoring coherent differential absorption LIDAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imaki, Masaharu; Kojima, Ryota; Kameyama, Shumpei

    2018-04-01

    We have studied a ground based coherent differential absorption LIDAR (DIAL) for vertical profiling of water vapor density using a 1.5μm laser wavelength. A coherent LIDAR has an advantage in daytime measurement compared with incoherent LIDAR because the influence of background light is greatly suppressed. In addition, the LIDAR can simultaneously measure wind speed and water vapor density. We had developed a wavelength locking circuit using the phase modulation technique and offset locking technique, and wavelength stabilities of 0.123 pm which corresponds to 16 MHz are realized. In this paper, we report the wavelength locking circuits for the 1.5 um wavelength.

  14. Airborne differential absorption lidar system for water vapor investigations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Browell, E. V.; Carter, A. F.; Wilkerson, T. D.

    1981-01-01

    Range-resolved water vapor measurements using the differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) technique is described in detail. The system uses two independently tunable optically pumped lasers operating in the near infrared with laser pulses of less than 100 microseconds separation, to minimize concentration errors caused by atmospheric scattering. Water vapor concentration profiles are calculated for each measurement by a minicomputer, in real time. The work is needed in the study of atmospheric motion and thermodynamics as well as in forestry and agriculture problems.

  15. Differential absorption lidar measurements of atmospheric water vapor using a pseudonoise code modulated AlGaAs laser. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rall, Jonathan A. R.

    1994-01-01

    Lidar measurements using pseudonoise code modulated AlGaAs lasers are reported. Horizontal path lidar measurements were made at night to terrestrial targets at ranges of 5 and 13 km with 35 mW of average power and integration times of one second. Cloud and aerosol lidar measurements were made to thin cirrus clouds at 13 km altitude with Rayleigh (molecular) backscatter evident up to 9 km. Average transmitter power was 35 mW and measurement integration time was 20 minutes. An AlGaAs laser was used to characterize spectral properties of water vapor absorption lines at 811.617, 816.024, and 815.769 nm in a multipass absorption cell using derivative spectroscopy techniques. Frequency locking of an AlGaAs laser to a water vapor absorption line was achieved with a laser center frequency stability measured to better than one-fifth of the water vapor Doppler linewidth over several minutes. Differential absorption lidar measurements of atmospheric water vapor were made in both integrated path and range-resolved modes using an externally modulated AlGaAs laser. Mean water vapor number density was estimated from both integrated path and range-resolved DIAL measurements and agreed with measured humidity values to within 6.5 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Error sources were identified and their effects on estimates of water vapor number density calculated.

  16. Advanced IMCW Lidar Techniques for ASCENDS CO2 Column Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, Joel; lin, bing; nehrir, amin; harrison, fenton; obland, michael

    2015-04-01

    Global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements for the NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) space mission are critical for improving our understanding of global CO2 sources and sinks. Advanced Intensity-Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar techniques are investigated as a means of facilitating CO2 measurements from space to meet the ASCENDS measurement requirements. In recent numerical, laboratory and flight experiments we have successfully used the Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation technique to uniquely discriminate surface lidar returns from intermediate aerosol and cloud contamination. We demonstrate the utility of BPSK to eliminate sidelobes in the range profile as a means of making Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) column CO2 measurements in the presence of optically thin clouds, thereby eliminating the need to correct for sidelobe bias errors caused by the clouds. Furthermore, high accuracy and precision ranging to the surface as well as to the top of intermediate cloud layers, which is a requirement for the inversion of column CO2 number density measurements to column CO2 mixing ratios, has been demonstrated using new hyperfine interpolation techniques that takes advantage of the periodicity of the modulation waveforms. This approach works well for both BPSK and linear swept-frequency modulation techniques. The BPSK technique under investigation has excellent auto-correlation properties while possessing a finite bandwidth. A comparison of BPSK and linear swept-frequency is also discussed in this paper. These results are extended to include Richardson-Lucy deconvolution techniques to extend the resolution of the lidar beyond that implied by limit of the bandwidth of the modulation.

  17. IPDA PDS4 Project: Towards an International Planetary Data Standard

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez, Santa; Roatsch, Thomas; Capria, Maria Teresa; Heather, David; Yamamoto, Yukio; Hughes, Steven; Stein, Thomas; Cecconi, Baptiste; Prashar, Ajay; Batanov, Oleg; Gopala Krishna, Barla

    2016-07-01

    The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) is an international collaboration of space agencies with the main objective of facilitating discovery, access and use of planetary data managed across international boundaries. For this purpose, the IPDA has adopted the NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) standard as the de-facto archiving standard, and is working towards the internationalisation of the new generation of the standards, called PDS4. PDS4 is the largest upgrade in the history of the PDS, and is a significant step towards an online, distributed, model-driven and service-oriented architecture international archive. Following the successful deployment of PDS4 to support NASA's LADEE and MAVEN missions, PDS4 was endorsed by IPDA in 2014. This has led to the adoption of PDS4 by a number of international space agencies (ESA, JAXA, ISRO and Roscosmos, among others) for their upcoming missions. In order to closely follow the development of the PDS4 standards and to coordinate the international contribution and participation in its evolution, a group of experts from each international agency is dedicated to review different aspects of the standards and to capture recommendations and requirements to ensure the international needs are met. The activities performed by this group cover the assessment and implementation of all aspects of PDS4, including its use, documentation, tools, validation strategies and information model. This contribution will present the activities carried out by this group and how this partnership between PDS and IPDA provides an excellent foundation towards an international platform for planetary science research.

  18. A Highly Sensitive Multi-Element HgCdTe E-APD Detector for IPDA Lidar Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beck, Jeff; Welch, Terry; Mitra, Pradip; Reiff, Kirk; Sun, Xiaoli; Abshire, James

    2014-01-01

    An HgCdTe electron avalanche photodiode (e-APD) detector has been developed for lidar receivers, one application of which is integrated path differential absorption lidar measurements of such atmospheric trace gases as CO2 and CH4. The HgCdTe APD has a wide, visible to mid-wave-infrared, spectral response, high dynamic range, substantially improved sensitivity, and an expected improvement in operational lifetime. A demonstration sensor-chip assembly consisting of a 4.3 lm cutoff HgCdTe 4 9 4 APD detector array with 80 micrometer pitch pixels and a custom complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor readout integrated circuit was developed. For one typical array the APD gain was 654 at 12 V with corresponding gain normalized dark currents ranging from 1.2 fA to 3.2 fA. The 4 9 4 detector system was characterized at 77 K with a 1.55 micrometer wavelength, 1 microsecond wide, laser pulse. The measured unit gain detector photon conversion efficiency was 91.1%. At 11 V bias the mean measured APD gain at 77 K was 307.8 with sigma/mean uniformity of 1.23%. The average, noise-bandwidth normalized, system noise-equivalent power (NEP) was 1.04 fW/Hz(exp 1/2) with a sigma/mean of 3.8%. The measured, electronics-limited, bandwidth of 6.8 MHz was more than adequate for 1 microsecond pulse detection. The system had an NEP (3 MHz) of 0.4 fW/Hz(exp 1/2) at 12 V APD bias and a linear dynamic range close to 1000. A gain-independent quantum-limited SNR of 80% of full theoretical was indicative of a gain-independent excess noise factor very close to 1.0 and the expected APD mode quantum efficiency.

  19. NONLINEAR-APPROXIMATION TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINING VERTICAL OZONE-CONCENTRATION PROFILES WITH A DIFFERENTIAL-ABSORPTION LIDAR

    EPA Science Inventory

    A new technique is presented for the retrieval of ozone concentration profiles from backscattered signals obtained by a multi-wavelength differential-absorption lidar (DIAL). The technique makes it possible to reduce erroneous local fluctuations induced in the ozone-concentration...

  20. Methane Measurements from Space: Technical Challenges and Solutions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Wu, Stewart; Gonzalez, Brayler; Rodriguez, Michael; Kawa, Stephan; Mao, Jianping

    2017-01-01

    We report on an airborne demonstration of atmospheric methane (CH4) measurements with an Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar using an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and optical parametric amplifier (OPA) laser transmitter and a sensitive avalanche photo detector. The lidar measures the CH4 absorption at multiple, discrete wavelengths around 1650.9 nm. In September 2015, the instrument was deployed on NASAs DC-8 airborne laboratory and measured atmospheric methane over a wide range of topography and weather conditions from altitudes of 3 km to 13 km. In this paper, we will review the results from our flights, and identify areas of improvement.

  1. Methane measurements from space: technical challenges and solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Wu, Stewart; Gonzalez, Brayler; Rodriguez, Michael; Kawa, Stephan; Mao, Jianping

    2017-05-01

    We report on an airborne demonstration of atmospheric methane (CH4) measurements with an Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar using an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and optical parametric amplifier (OPA) laser transmitter and a sensitive avalanche photo detector. The lidar measures the CH4 absorption at multiple, discrete wavelengths around 1650.9 nm. In September 2015, the instrument was deployed on NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory and measured atmospheric methane over a wide range of topography and weather conditions from altitudes of 3 km to 13 km. In this paper, we will review the results from our flights, and identify areas of improvement.

  2. Measurements of CO2 Column Abundance in the Low Atmosphere Using Ground Based 1.6 μm CO2 DIAL

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abo, M.; Shibata, Y.; Nagasawa, C.

    2017-12-01

    Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration are believed to produce the largest radiative forcing for the current climate system. Accurate predictions of atmospheric CO2 concentration rely on the knowledge of its sinks and sources, transports, and its variability with time. Although this knowledge is currently unsatisfactory, numerical models use it as a way in simulating CO2 fluxes. Validating and improving the global atmospheric transport model, therefore, requires precise measurement of the CO2 concentration profile. There are two further variations on Lidar: the differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) and the integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) Lidar. DIAL/IPDA are basically for profile/total column measurement, respectively. IPDA is a special case of DIAL and can measure the total column-averaged mixing ratio of trace gases using return signals from the Earth's surface or from thick clouds based on an airborne or a satellite. We have developed a ground based 1.6 μm DIAL to measure vertical CO2 mixing ratio profiles from 0.4 to 2.5 km altitude. The goals of the CO2 DIAL are to produce atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio measurements with much smaller seasonal and diurnal biases from the ground surface. But, in the ground based lidar, return signals from around ground surface are usually suppressed in order to handle the large dynamic range. To receive the return signals as near as possible from ground surface, namely, the field of view (FOV) of the telescope must be wide enough to reduce the blind range of the lidar. While the return signals from the far distance are very weak, to enhance the sensitivity and heighten the detecting distance, the FOV must be narrow enough to suppress the sky background light, especially during the daytime measurements. To solve this problem, we propose a total column measurement method from the ground surface to 0.4 km altitude. Instead of strong signals from thick clouds such as the IPDA, the proposed method uses

  3. Airborne Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric Pressure Made Using the Oxygen A-Band

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Rodriquez, Michael D.; Allan, Graham R.; Hasselbrack, William E.; Mao, Jianping; Stephen, Mark A.; Abshire, James B.

    2012-01-01

    Accurate measurements of greenhouse gas mixing ratios on a global scale are currently needed to gain a better understanding of climate change and its possible impact on our planet. In order to remotely measure greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere with regard to dry air, the air number density in the atmosphere is also needed in deriving the greenhouse gas concentrations. Since oxygen is stable and uniformly mixed in the atmosphere at 20.95%, the measurement of an oxygen absorption in the atmosphere can be used to infer the dry air density and used to calculate the dry air mixing ratio of a greenhouse gas, such as carbon dioxide or methane. OUT technique of measuring Oxygen uses integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) with an Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDF A) laser system and single photon counting module (SPCM). It measures the absorbance of several on- and off-line wavelengths tuned to an O2 absorption line in the A-band at 764.7 nm. The choice of wavelengths allows us to maximize the pressure sensitivity using the trough between two absorptions in the Oxygen A-band. Our retrieval algorithm uses ancillary meteorological and aircraft altitude information to fit the experimentally obtained lidar O2 line shapes to a model atmosphere and derives the pressure from the profiles of the two lines. We have demonstrated O2 measurements from the ground and from an airborne platform. In this paper we will report on our airborne measurements during our 2011 campaign for the ASCENDS program.

  4. Operating range of a differential-absorption lidar based on a CO{sub 2} laser

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ivashchenko, M V; Sherstov, I V

    2000-08-31

    The echolocation range and the remote sensing of ethylene in the atmosphere are simulated for a differential-absorption lidar based on TEA CO{sub 2} lasers. The dependence of the lidar echolocation range on the energy and the peak power of probe pulses is shown to be close to logarithmic. It is demonstrated that the use of narrow-band spectral filters is justified only for low-noise detectors and viewing angles of the receiver exceeding 5 mrad. The relative measurement error of the ethylene concentration in the atmosphere is estimated for various detection modes. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

  5. NASA three-laser airborne differential absorption lidar system electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allen, R. J.; Copeland, G. D.

    1984-01-01

    The system control and signal conditioning electronics of the NASA three laser airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system are described. The multipurpose DIAL system was developed for the remote measurement of gas and aerosol profiles in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. A brief description and photographs of the majority of electronics units developed under this contract are presented. The precision control system; which includes a master control unit, three combined NASA laser control interface/quantel control units, and three noise pulse discriminator/pockels cell pulser units; is described in detail. The need and design considerations for precision timing and control are discussed. Calibration procedures are included.

  6. Differential absorption lidars for remote sensing of atmospheric pressure and temperature profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korb, C. Laurence; Schwemmer, Geary K.; Famiglietti, Joseph; Walden, Harvey; Prasad, Coorg

    1995-01-01

    A near infrared differential absorption lidar technique is developed using atmospheric oxygen as a tracer for high resolution vertical profiles of pressure and temperature with high accuracy. Solid-state tunable lasers and high-resolution spectrum analyzers are developed to carry out ground-based and airborne measurement demonstrations and results of the measurements presented. Numerical error analysis of high-altitude airborne and spaceborne experiments is carried out, and system concepts developed for their implementation.

  7. High Spectral Resolution Lidar Measurements Using an I2 Absorption Filter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eloranta, E. W.; Piironen, P.

    1996-01-01

    The University of Wisconsin high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) measures optical properties of the atmosphere by separating the Doppler-broadened molecular backscatter return from the unbroadened aerosol return. The HSRL was modified to use an I2 absorption cell The modified HSRL transmitter uses a continuously pumped, Q-switched, injection seeded, frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser operating at a 4 kHz pulse repetition rate. This laser is tunable over a 124 GHz frequency range by temperature tuning the seed laser under computer control.

  8. Towards Combining Active and Passive Greenhouse Gas Remote Sensing from Space: Progress and Plans at the German Aerospace Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rapp, M.; Ehret, G.; Fix, A.; Wirth, M.; Amediek, A.; Kiemle, C.; Quatrevalet, M.; Butz, A.; Roiger, A.; Joeckel, P.

    2017-12-01

    For meeting the goals of the Paris agreement it is highly desirable to obtain objective global information on anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission rates. A promising approach for a space based observation system is the combination of active and passive remote sensing from satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). While LIDAR techniques have the potential to yield low bias observations which are independent of solar illumination and hence also work during night and at polar winter latitudes, spectroscopic observations of scattered sunlight are suitable for imaging atmospheric concentrations at high spatial resolution. This presentation reviews progress and plans of work conducted at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Regarding active remote sensing, DLR has developed the airborne Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA)-Lidar CHARM-F (CO2 and CH4 Remote Monitoring—Flugzeug) for the quantification of carbon dioxide and methane column mixing ratios. CHARM-F has been deployed in an initial airborne field campaign in spring 2015 and results of strong anthropogenic sources detected during these flights will be presented. In addition, DLR is in the process of preparing an international airborne campaign (CoMet - Carbon Dioxide and Methane Mission for HALO) for April 2018 which will be supported by various in-situ, ground based, and modelling activities. These airborne field campaigns are important steps towards the German-French satellite mission MERLIN which also utilizes an IPDA-LIDAR. Also, DLR has started to further investigate concepts for a future space borne IPDA-Lidar for the quantification of strong anthropogenic CO2 point sources. Jointly with the latter, DLR is currently further studying the concept of a passive spectrometer for the observation of CO2 point emissions.

  9. Advanced intensity-modulation continuous-wave lidar techniques for ASCENDS CO2 column measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, Joel F.; Lin, Bing; Nehrir, Amin R.; Harrison, F. W.; Obland, Michael D.; Meadows, Byron

    2015-10-01

    Global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements for the NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) space mission are critical for improving our understanding of global CO2 sources and sinks. Advanced Intensity- Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar techniques are investigated as a means of facilitating CO2 measurements from space to meet the ASCENDS measurement requirements. In recent numerical, laboratory and flight experiments we have successfully used the Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation technique to uniquely discriminate surface lidar returns from intermediate aerosol and cloud contamination. We demonstrate the utility of BPSK to eliminate sidelobes in the range profile as a means of making Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) column CO2 measurements in the presence of optically thin clouds, thereby eliminating the need to correct for sidelobe bias errors caused by the clouds. Furthermore, high accuracy and precision ranging to the surface as well as to the top of intermediate cloud layers, which is a requirement for the inversion of column CO2 number density measurements to column CO2 mixing ratios, has been demonstrated using new hyperfine interpolation techniques that takes advantage of the periodicity of the modulation waveforms. This approach works well for both BPSK and linear swept-frequency modulation techniques. The BPSK technique under investigation has excellent auto-correlation properties while possessing a finite bandwidth. A comparison of BPSK and linear swept-frequency is also discussed in this paper. These results are extended to include Richardson-Lucy deconvolution techniques to extend the resolution of the lidar beyond that implied by limit of the bandwidth of the modulation, where it is shown useful for making tree canopy measurements.

  10. Advanced Intensity-Modulation Continuous-Wave Lidar Techniques for ASCENDS O2 Column Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Campbell, Joel F.; Lin, Bing; Nehrir, Amin R.; Harrison, F. Wallace; Obland, Michael D.; Meadows, Byron

    2015-01-01

    Global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements for the NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) space mission are critical for improving our understanding of global CO2 sources and sinks. Advanced Intensity- Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar techniques are investigated as a means of facilitating CO2 measurements from space to meet the ASCENDS measurement requirements. In recent numerical, laboratory and flight experiments we have successfully used the Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation technique to uniquely discriminate surface lidar returns from intermediate aerosol and cloud contamination. We demonstrate the utility of BPSK to eliminate sidelobes in the range profile as a means of making Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) column CO2 measurements in the presence of optically thin clouds, thereby eliminating the need to correct for sidelobe bias errors caused by the clouds. Furthermore, high accuracy and precision ranging to the surface as well as to the top of intermediate cloud layers, which is a requirement for the inversion of column CO2 number density measurements to column CO2 mixing ratios, has been demonstrated using new hyperfine interpolation techniques that takes advantage of the periodicity of the modulation waveforms. This approach works well for both BPSK and linear swept-frequency modulation techniques. The BPSK technique under investigation has excellent auto-correlation properties while possessing a finite bandwidth. A comparison of BPSK and linear swept-frequency is also discussed in this paper. These results are extended to include Richardson-Lucy deconvolution techniques to extend the resolution of the lidar beyond that implied by limit of the bandwidth of the modulation, where it is shown useful for making tree canopy measurements.

  11. Triple-Pulsed Two-Micron Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar: A New Active Remote Sensing Capability with Path to Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Petros, Mulugeta; Yu, Jirong

    2015-01-01

    The two-micron wavelength is suitable for monitoring atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide, the two most dominant greenhouse gases. Recent advances in 2-micron laser technology paved the way for constructing state-of-the-art lidar transmitters for active remote sensing applications. In this paper, a new triple-pulsed 2-micron integrated path differential absorption lidar is presented. This lidar is capable of measuring either two species or single specie with two different weighting functions, simultaneously and independently. Development of this instrument is conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. Instrument scaling for projected future space missions will be discussed.

  12. Monitoring Atmospheric CO2 From Space: Challenge & Approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, Bing; Harrison, F. Wallace; Nehrir, Amin; Browell, Edward; Dobler, Jeremy; Campbell, Joel; Meadows, Byron; Obland, Michael; Kooi, Susan; Fan, Tai-Fang; hide

    2015-01-01

    Atmospheric CO2 is the key radiative forcing for the Earth's climate and may contribute a major part of the Earth's warming during the past 150 years. Advanced knowledge on the CO2 distributions and changes can lead considerable model improvements in predictions of the Earth's future climate. Large uncertainties in the predictions have been found for decades owing to limited CO2 observations. To obtain precise measurements of atmospheric CO2, certain challenges have to be overcome. For an example, global annual means of the CO2 are rather stable, but, have a very small increasing trend that is significant for multi-decadal long-term climate. At short time scales (a second to a few hours), regional and subcontinental gradients in the CO2 concentration are very small and only in an order of a few parts per million (ppm) compared to the mean atmospheric CO2 concentration of about 400 ppm, which requires atmospheric CO2 space monitoring systems with extremely high accuracy and precision (about 0.5 ppm or 0.125%) in spatiotemporal scales around 75 km and 10-s. It also requires a decadal-scale system stability. Furthermore, rapid changes in high latitude environments such as melting ice, snow and frozen soil, persistent thin cirrus clouds in Amazon and other tropical areas, and harsh weather conditions over Southern Ocean all increase difficulties in satellite atmospheric CO2 observations. Space lidar approaches using Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) technique are considered to be capable of obtaining precise CO2 measurements and, thus, have been proposed by various studies including the 2007 Decadal Survey (DS) of the U.S. National Research Council. This study considers to use the Intensity-Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar to monitor global atmospheric CO2 distribution and variability from space. Development and demonstration of space lidar for atmospheric CO2 measurements have been made through joint adventure of NASA Langley Research Center and

  13. Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Measurements of Landfill Methane Emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Innocenti, Fabrizio; Robinson, Rod; Gardiner, Tom; Finlayson, Andrew; Connor, Andy

    2017-04-01

    DIFFERENTIAL ABSORPTION LIDAR (DIAL) MEASURMENTS OF LANDFILL METHANE EMISSIONS F. INNOCENTI *, R.A. ROBINSON *, T.D. GARDINER, A. FINLAYSON *, A. CONNOR* * National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW, United Kingdom Methane is one of the most important gaseous hydrocarbon species for both industrial and environmental reasons. Understanding and quantifying methane emissions to atmosphere is an important element of climate change research. Range-resolved infrared Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) measurements provide the means to map and quantify a wide range of different methane sources. DIAL is a powerful technique that can be used to track and quantify plumes emitted from area emission sources such as landfill sites, waste water treatment plants and petrochemical plants. By using lidar (light detection and ranging), the DIAL technique is able to make remote range-resolved single-ended measurements of the actual distribution of target gases in the atmosphere, with no disruption to normal site operational activities. DIAL provides 3D mapping of emission concentrations and quantification of emission rates for a wide range of target gases such as methane. The NPL DIAL laser source is operated alternately at two similar wavelengths. One of these, termed the "on-resonant wavelength", is chosen to be at a wavelength which is absorbed by the target species. The other, the "off-resonant wavelength", is chosen to be at a nearby wavelength which is not absorbed significantly by the target species. The two wavelengths are chosen to be close, so that the atmospheric scattering properties are the same for both wavelengths. They are also chosen so that any differential absorption due to other atmospheric species are minimised. Any measured difference in the returned signals is therefore due to absorption by the target gas. In the typical DIAL measurement configuration the mobile DIAL facility is positioned downwind of the area being

  14. Development of a Pulsed 2-micron Laser Transmitter for CO2 Sensing from Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Bai, Yingxin; Petros, Mulugeta; Menzies, Robert T.

    2011-01-01

    NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), in collaboration with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is engaged in the development and demonstration of a highly efficient, versatile, 2-micron pulsed laser that can be used in a pulsed Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL)/Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) instrument to make precise, high-resolution CO2 measurements to investigate sources, sinks, and fluxes of CO2. This laser transmitter will feature performance characteristics needed for an ASCENDS system that will be capable of delivering the CO2 measurement precision required by the Earth Science Decadal Survey (DS).

  15. Differential absorption lidar observation on small-time-scale features of water vapor in the atmospheric boundary layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, Wei; Li, Jiatang; Liu, Hao; Chen, Tao; Hong, Guanglie; Shu, Rong

    2017-11-01

    Observation on small-time-scale features of water vapor density is essential for turbulence, convection and many other fast atmospheric processes study. For the high signal-to-noise signal of elastic signal acquired by differential absorption lidar, it has great potential for all-day water vapor turbulence observation. This paper presents a set of differential absorption lidar at 935nm developed by Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science for water vapor turbulence observation. A case at the midday is presented to demonstrate the daytime observation ability of this system. "Autocovariance method" is used to separate the contribution of water vapor fluctuation from random error. The results show that the relative error is less than 10% at temporal and spatial resolution of 10 seconds and 60 meters in the ABL. This indicate that the system has excellent performance for daytime water vapor turbulence observation.

  16. International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) Information Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hughes, John Steven; Beebe, R.; Guinness, E.; Heather, D.; Huang, M.; Kasaba, Y.; Osuna, P.; Rye, E.; Savorskiy, V.

    2007-01-01

    This document is the third deliverable of the International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) Archive Data Standards Requirements Identification project. The goal of the project is to identify a subset of the standards currently in use by NASAs Planetary Data System (PDS) that are appropriate for internationalization. As shown in the highlighted sections of Figure 1, the focus of this project is the Information Model component of the Data Architecture Standards, namely the object models, a data dictionary, and a set of data formats.

  17. Aerosol absorption profiling from the synergy of lidar and sun-photometry: the ACTRIS-2 campaigns in Germany, Greece and Cyprus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsekeri, Alexandra; Amiridis, Vassilis; Lopatin, Anton; Marinou, Eleni; Giannakaki, Eleni; Pikridas, Michael; Sciare, Jean; Liakakou, Eleni; Gerasopoulos, Evangelos; Duesing, Sebastian; Corbin, Joel C.; Gysel, Martin; Bukowiecki, Nicolas; Baars, Holger; Engelmann, Ronny; Wehner, Birgit; Kottas, Michael; Mamali, Dimitra; Kokkalis, Panagiotis; Raptis, Panagiotis I.; Stavroulas, Iasonas; Keleshis, Christos; Müller, Detlef; Solomos, Stavros; Binietoglou, Ioannis; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos; Papayannis, Alexandros; Stachlewska, Iwona S.; Igloffstein, Julia; Wandinger, Ulla; Ansmann, Albert; Dubovik, Oleg; Goloub, Philippe

    2018-04-01

    Aerosol absorption profiling is crucial for radiative transfer calculations and climate modelling. Here, we utilize the synergy of lidar with sun-photometer measurements to derive the absorption coefficient and single scattering albedo profiles during the ACTRIS-2 campaigns held in Germany, Greece and Cyprus. The remote sensing techniques are compared with in situ measurements in order to harmonize and validate the different methodologies and reduce the absorption profiling uncertainties.

  18. Lidar Remote Sensing for Industry and Environment Monitoring

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N. (Editor); Itabe, Toshikazu (Editor); Sugimoto, Nobuo (Editor)

    2000-01-01

    Contents include the following: 1. Keynote paper: Overview of lidar technology for industrial and environmental monitoring in Japan. 2. lidar technology I: NASA's future active remote sensing mission for earth science. Geometrical detector consideration s in laser sensing application (invited paper). 3. Lidar technology II: High-power femtosecond light strings as novel atmospheric probes (invited paper). Design of a compact high-sensitivity aerosol profiling lidar. 4. Lasers for lidars: High-energy 2 microns laser for multiple lidar applications. New submount requirement of conductively cooled laser diodes for lidar applications. 5. Tropospheric aerosols and clouds I: Lidar monitoring of clouds and aerosols at the facility for atmospheric remote sensing (invited paper). Measurement of asian dust by using multiwavelength lidar. Global monitoring of clouds and aerosols using a network of micropulse lidar systems. 6. Troposphere aerosols and clouds II: Scanning lidar measurements of marine aerosol fields at a coastal site in Hawaii. 7. Tropospheric aerosols and clouds III: Formation of ice cloud from asian dust particles in the upper troposphere. Atmospheric boundary layer observation by ground-based lidar at KMITL, Thailand (13 deg N, 100 deg. E). 8. Boundary layer, urban pollution: Studies of the spatial correlation between urban aerosols and local traffic congestion using a slant angle scanning on the research vessel Mirai. 9. Middle atmosphere: Lidar-observed arctic PSC's over Svalbard (invited paper). Sodium temperature lidar measurements of the mesopause region over Syowa Station. 10. Differential absorption lidar (dIAL) and DOAS: Airborne UV DIAL measurements of ozone and aerosols (invited paper). Measurement of water vapor, surface ozone, and ethylene using differential absorption lidar. 12. Space lidar I: Lightweight lidar telescopes for space applications (invited paper). Coherent lidar development for Doppler wind measurement from the International Space

  19. Pressure Measurements Using an Airborne Differential Absorption Lidar. Part 1; Analysis of the Systematic Error Sources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flamant, Cyrille N.; Schwemmer, Geary K.; Korb, C. Laurence; Evans, Keith D.; Palm, Stephen P.

    1999-01-01

    Remote airborne measurements of the vertical and horizontal structure of the atmospheric pressure field in the lower troposphere are made with an oxygen differential absorption lidar (DIAL). A detailed analysis of this measurement technique is provided which includes corrections for imprecise knowledge of the detector background level, the oxygen absorption fine parameters, and variations in the laser output energy. In addition, we analyze other possible sources of systematic errors including spectral effects related to aerosol and molecular scattering interference by rotational Raman scattering and interference by isotopic oxygen fines.

  20. NASA multipurpose airborne DIAL system and measurements of ozone and aerosol profiles. [DIfferential Absorption Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Browell, E. V.; Carter, A. F.; Shipley, S. T.; Siviter, J. H., Jr.; Hall, W. M.; Allen, R. J.; Butler, C. F.; Mayo, M. N.

    1983-01-01

    The hardware, operational characteristics, data processing system, and applications of the NASA airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system are described. DIAL functions by assessing the average gas concentration over a specified range interval by analyzing the difference in lidar backscatter signals for laser wavelengths tuned on and off of the molecular absorption line of a gas under investigation. The system comprises two frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers pumping two high conversion efficiency tunable dye lasers emitting pulses separated by 100 microsec or less. The return signals are digitized and stored on magnetic tape. The signal collector consists of photomultiplier tubes implanted in a cassegrain telescope. Flight tests of the system involved on-measurements at 285.95 nm and off-measurements at 299.40 nm, which yielded a differential cross section of 1.74 x 10 to the -16th sq cm. In situ measurements with another plane at a nominal altitude of 3.2 km for comparison purposes showed accuracy to within 10% in and above the boundary layer. The system is considered as a test apparatus for more developed versions to be flown on the Shuttle

  1. COMPENSATIONAL THREE-WAVELENGTH DIFFERENTIAL-ABSORPTION LIDAR TECHNIQUE FOR REDUCING THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENTIAL SCATTERING ON OZONE-CONCENTRATION MEASUREMENTS.

    EPA Science Inventory

    A three-wavelength differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) technique for the UV spectral region is presented that reduces the influence of aerosol differential scattering on measured O3-concentration profiles. The principal advantage of this approach is that, to a good first approxi...

  2. Fiber-Based Laser Transmitter at 1.57 Micrometers for Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from Satellites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Anthony W.; Abshire, James B.; Stephen, Mark A.; Chen, Jeffrey R.; Wu, Stewart; Gonzalez, Brayler; Han, Lawrence; Numata, Kenji; Allan, Graham R.; Hasselbrack, William; hide

    2015-01-01

    Over the past 20 years, NASA Goddard has successfully developed space-based lidar for remote sensing studies of the Earth and planets. The lidar in all missions to date have used diode pumped Nd:YAG laser transmitters. Recently we have been concentrating work on developing integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar to measure greenhouse gases, with the goal of measurements from space. Due to the absorption spectrum of CO2 a fiber-based master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) laser with a tunable seed source is an attractive laser choice. Fiber-based lasers offer a number of potential advantages for space, but since they are relatively new, challenges exist in developing them. In order to reduce risks for new missions using fiber-based lasers, we developed a 30- month plan to mature the technology of a candidate laser transmitter for space-based CO2 measurements to TRL-6. This work is also intended to reduce development time and costs and increase confidence in future mission success.

  3. Airborne Measurements of Atmospheric Methane Using Pulsed Laser Transmitters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Numata, Kenji; Riris, Haris; Wu, Stewart; Gonzalez, Brayler; Rodriguez, Michael; Hasselbrack, William; Fahey, Molly; Yu, Anthony; Stephen, Mark; Mao, Jianping; hide

    2016-01-01

    Atmospheric methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas with approximately 25 times the radiative forcing of carbon dioxide (CO2) per molecule. At NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) we have been developing a laser-based technology needed to remotely measure CH4 from orbit. We report on our development effort for the methane lidar, especially on our laser transmitters and recent airborne demonstration. Our lidar transmitter is based on an optical parametric process to generate near infrared laser radiation at 1651 nanometers, coincident with a CH4 absorption. In an airborne flight campaign in the fall of 2015, we tested two kinds of laser transmitters --- an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) and an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The output wavelength of the lasers was rapidly tuned over the CH4 absorption by tuning the seed laser to sample the CH4 absorption line at several wavelengths. This approach uses the same Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) technique we have used for our CO2 lidar for ASCENDS. The two laser transmitters were successfully operated in the NASAs DC-8 aircraft, measuring methane from 3 to 13 kilometers with high precision.

  4. A Ground-Based Profiling Differential Absorption LIDAR System for Measuring CO2 in the Planetary Boundary Layer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Andrews, Arlyn E.; Burris, John F.; Abshire, James B.; Krainak, Michael A.; Riris, Haris; Sun, Xiao-Li; Collatz, G. James

    2002-01-01

    Ground-based LIDAR observations can potentially provide continuous profiles of CO2 through the planetary boundary layer and into the free troposphere. We will present initial atmospheric measurements from a prototype system that is based on components developed by the telecommunications industry. Preliminary measurements and instrument performance calculations indicate that an optimized differential absorption LIDAR (DIAL) system will be capable of providing continuous hourly averaged profiles with 250m vertical resolution and better than 1 ppm precision at 1 km. Precision increases (decreases) at lower (higher) altitudes and is directly proportional to altitude resolution and acquisition time. Thus, precision can be improved if temporal or vertical resolution is sacrificed. Our approach measures absorption by CO2 of pulsed laser light at 1.6 microns backscattered from atmospheric aerosols. Aerosol concentrations in the planetary boundary layer are relatively high and are expected to provide adequate signal returns for the desired resolution. The long-term goal of the project is to develop a rugged, autonomous system using only commercially available components that can be replicated inexpensively for deployment in a monitoring network.

  5. Remote sensing of atmospheric NO2 by employing the continuous-wave differential absorption lidar technique.

    PubMed

    Mei, Liang; Guan, Peng; Kong, Zheng

    2017-10-02

    Differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique employed for remote sensing has been so far based on the sophisticated narrow-band pulsed laser sources, which require intensive maintenance during operation. In this work, a continuous-wave (CW) NO 2 DIAL system based on the Scheimpflug principle has been developed by employing a compact high-power CW multimode 450 nm laser diode as the light source. Laser emissions at the on-line and off-line wavelengths of the NO 2 absorption spectrum are implemented by tuning the injection current of the laser diode. Lidar signals are detected by a 45° tilted area CCD image sensor satisfying the Scheimpflug principle. Range-resolved NO 2 concentrations on a near-horizontal path are obtained by the NO 2 DIAL system in the range of 0.3-3 km and show good agreement with those measured by a conventional air pollution monitoring station. A detection sensitivity of ± 0.9 ppbv at 95% confidence level in the region of 0.3-1 km is achieved with 15-minute averaging and 700 m range resolution during hours of darkness, which allows accurate concentration measurement of ambient NO 2 . The low-cost and robust DIAL system demonstrated in this work opens up many possibilities for field NO 2 remote sensing applications.

  6. Analysis of Vertical Weighting Functions for Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 and O2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kooi, S.; Mao, J.; Abshire, J. B.; Browell, E. V.; Weaver, C. J.; Kawa, S. R.

    2011-12-01

    Several NASA groups have developed integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar approaches to measure atmospheric CO2 concentrations from space as a candidates for NASA's ASCENDS space mission. For example, the Goddard CO2 Sounder approach uses two pulsed lasers to simultaneously measure both CO2 and O2 absorption in the vertical path to the surface at a number of wavelengths across a CO2 line near 1572 nm and an O2 line doublet near 764 nm. The measurements of CO2 and O2 absorption allow computing their vertically weighted number densities and then their ratios for estimating CO2 concentration relative to dry air. Since both the CO2 and O2 densities and their absorption line-width decrease with altitude, the absorption response (or weighting function) varies with both altitude and absorption wavelength. We have used some standard atmospheres and HITRAN 2008 spectroscopy to calculate the vertical weighting functions for two CO2 lines near 1571 nm and the O2 lines near 764.7 and 1260 nm for candidate online wavelength selections for ASCENDS. For CO2, the primary candidate on-line wavelengths are 10-12 pm away from line center with the weighting function peaking in the atmospheric boundary layer to measure CO2 sources and sinks at the surface. Using another on-line wavelength 3-5 pm away from line center allows the weighting function to peak in the mid- to upper troposphere, which is sensitive to CO2 transport in the free atmosphere. The Goddard CO2 sounder team developed an airborne precursor version of a space instrument. During the summers of 2009, 2010 and 2011 it has participated in airborne measurement campaigns over a variety of different sites in the US, flying with other NASA ASCENDS lidar candidates along with accurate in-situ atmospheric sensors. All flights used altitude patterns with measurements at steps in altitudes between 3 and 13 km, along with spirals from 13 km altitude to near the surface. Measurements from in-situ sensors allowed an

  7. A robust optical parametric oscillator and receiver telescope for differential absorption lidar of greenhouse gases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, Iain; Jack, James W.; Rae, Cameron F.; Moncrieff, John B.

    2015-10-01

    We report the development of a differential absorption lidar instrument (DIAL) designed and built specifically for the measurement of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The DIAL is integrated into a commercial astronomical telescope to provide high-quality receiver optics and enable automated scanning for three-dimensional lidar acquisition. The instrument is portable and can be set up within a few hours in the field. The laser source is a pulsed optical parametric oscillator (OPO) which outputs light at a wavelength tunable near 1.6 μm. This wavelength region, which is also used in telecommunications devices, provides access to absorption lines in both carbon dioxide at 1573 nm and methane at 1646 nm. To achieve the critical temperature stability required for a laserbased field instrument the four-mirror OPO cavity is machined from a single aluminium block. A piezoactuator adjusts the cavity length to achieve resonance and this is maintained over temperature changes through the use of a feedback loop. The laser output is continuously monitored with pyroelectric detectors and a custom-built wavemeter. The OPO is injection seeded by a temperature-stabilized distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) with a wavelength locked to the absorption line centre (on-line) using a gas cell containing pure carbon dioxide. A second DFB-LD is tuned to a nearby wavelength (off-line) to provide the reference required for differential absorption measurements. A similar system has been designed and built to provide the injection seeding wavelengths for methane. The system integrates the DFB-LDs, drivers, locking electronics, gas cell and balanced photodetectors. The results of test measurements of carbon dioxide are presented and the development of the system is discussed, including the adaptation required for the measurement of methane.

  8. Defining the Core Archive Data Standards of the International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hughes, J. Steven; Crichton, Dan; Beebe, Reta; Guinness, Ed; Heather, David; Zender, Joe

    2007-01-01

    A goal of the International Planetary Data Alliance (lPDA) is to develop a set of archive data standards that enable the sharing of scientific data across international agencies and missions. To help achieve this goal, the IPDA steering committee initiated a six month proj ect to write requirements for and draft an information model based on the Planetary Data System (PDS) archive data standards. The project had a special emphasis on data formats. A set of use case scenarios were first developed from which a set of requirements were derived for the IPDA archive data standards. The special emphasis on data formats was addressed by identifying data formats that have been used by PDS nodes and other agencies in the creation of successful data sets for the Planetary Data System (PDS). The dependency of the IPDA information model on the PDS archive standards required the compilation of a formal specification of the archive standards currently in use by the PDS. An ontology modelling tool was chosen to capture the information model from various sources including the Planetary Science Data Dictionary [I] and the PDS Standards Reference [2]. Exports of the modelling information from the tool database were used to produce the information model document using an object-oriented notation for presenting the model. The tool exports can also be used for software development and are directly accessible by semantic web applications.

  9. MERLIN: a Franco-German LIDAR space mission for atmospheric methane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bousquet, P.; Ehret, G.; Pierangelo, C.; Marshall, J.; Bacour, C.; Chevallier, F.; Gibert, F.; Armante, R.; Crevoisier, C. D.; Edouart, D.; Esteve, F.; Julien, E.; Kiemle, C.; Alpers, M.; Millet, B.

    2017-12-01

    The Methane Remote Sensing Lidar Mission (MERLIN), currently in phase C, is a joint cooperation between France and Germany on the development, launch and operation of a space LIDAR dedicated to the retrieval of total weighted methane (CH4) atmospheric columns. Atmospheric methane is the second most potent anthropogenic greenhouse gas, contributing 20% to climate radiative forcing but also plying an important role in atmospheric chemistry as a precursor of tropospheric ozone and low-stratosphere water vapour. Its short lifetime ( 9 years) and the nature and variety of its anthropogenic sources also offer interesting mitigation options in regards to the 2° objective of the Paris agreement. For the first time, measurements of atmospheric composition will be performed from space thanks to an IPDA (Integrated Path Differential Absorption) LIDAR (Light Detecting And Ranging), with a precision (target ±27 ppb for a 50km aggregation along the trace) and accuracy (target <3.7 ppb at 68%) sufficient to significantly reduce the uncertainties on methane emissions. The very low targeted systematic error target is particularly ambitious compared to current passive methane space mission. It is achievable because of the differential active measurements of MERLIN, which guarantees almost no contamination by aerosols or water vapour cross-sensitivity. As an active mission, MERLIN will deliver global methane weighted columns (XCH4) for all seasons and all latitudes, day and night Here, we recall the MERLIN objectives and mission characteristics. We also propose an end-to-end error analysis, from the causes of random and systematic errors of the instrument, of the platform and of the data treatment, to the error on methane emissions. To do so, we propose an OSSE analysis (observing system simulation experiment) to estimate the uncertainty reduction on methane emissions brought by MERLIN XCH4. The originality of our inversion system is to transfer both random and systematic errors

  10. Advanced Intensity-Modulation Continuous-Wave Lidar Techniques for Column CO2 Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, J. F.; Lin, B.; Nehrir, A. R.; Obland, M. D.; Liu, Z.; Browell, E. V.; Chen, S.; Kooi, S. A.; Fan, T. F.

    2015-12-01

    Global and regional atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements for the NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) space mission and Atmospheric Carbon and Transport (ACT) - America airborne investigation are critical for improving our understanding of global CO2 sources and sinks. Advanced Intensity-Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar techniques are being investigated as a means of facilitating CO2 measurements from space and airborne platforms to meet the mission science measurement requirements. In recent numerical, laboratory and flight experiments we have successfully used the Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation technique to uniquely discriminate surface lidar returns from intermediate aerosol and cloud returns. We demonstrate the utility of BPSK to eliminate sidelobes in the range profile as a means of making Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) column CO2 measurements in the presence of intervening optically thin clouds, thereby minimizing bias errors caused by the clouds. Furthermore, high accuracy and precision ranging to the Earth's surface as well as to the top of intermediate cloud layers, which is a requirement for the inversion of column CO2 number density measurements to column CO2 mixing ratios, has been demonstrated using new hyperfine interpolation techniques that takes advantage of the periodicity of the modulation waveforms. This approach works well for both BPSK and linear swept-frequency modulation techniques and provides very high (at sub-meter level) range resolution. The BPSK technique under investigation has excellent auto-correlation properties while possessing a finite bandwidth. A comparison of BPSK and linear swept-frequency is also discussed in this paper. These techniques are used in a new data processing architecture to support the ASCENDS CarbonHawk Experiment Simulator (ACES) and ACT-America programs.

  11. Investigation of potential of differential absorption Lidar techniques for remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Butler, C. F.; Shipley, S. T.; Allen, R. J.

    1981-01-01

    The NASA multipurpose differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system uses two high conversion efficiency dye lasers which are optically pumped by two frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers mounted rigidly on a supporting structure that also contains the transmitter, receiver, and data system. The DIAL system hardware design and data acquisition system are described. Timing diagrams, logic diagrams, and schematics, and the theory of operation of the control electronics are presented. Success in obtaining remote measurements of ozone profiles with an airborne systems is reported and results are analyzed.

  12. Performance Modeling of an Airborne Raman Water Vapor Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whiteman, D. N.; Schwemmer, G.; Berkoff, T.; Plotkin, H.; Ramos-Izquierdo, L.; Pappalardo, G.

    2000-01-01

    A sophisticated Raman lidar numerical model had been developed. The model has been used to simulate the performance of two ground-based Raman water vapor lidar systems. After tuning the model using these ground-based measurements, the model is used to simulate the water vapor measurement capability of an airborne Raman lidar under both day-and night-time conditions for a wide range of water vapor conditions. The results indicate that, under many circumstances, the daytime measurements possess comparable resolution to an existing airborne differential absorption water vapor lidar while the nighttime measurement have higher resolution. In addition, a Raman lidar is capable of measurements not possible using a differential absorption system.

  13. NDSC and JPL stratospheric lidars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McDermid, I. Stuart

    1995-01-01

    The Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change is an international cooperation providing a set of high-quality, remote-sensing instruments at observing stations around the globe. A brief description of the NDSC and its goals is presented. Lidar has been selected as the NDSC instrument for measurements of stratospheric profiles of ozone, temperature, and aerosol. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed and implemented two stratospheric lidar systems for NDSC. These are located at Table Mountain, California, and at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. These systems, which utilize differential absorption lidar, Rayleigh lidar, raman lidar, and backscatter lidar, to measure ozone, temperature, and aerosol profiles in the stratosphere are briefly described. Examples of results obtained for both long-term and individual profiles are presented.

  14. Lidar sounding of volcanic plumes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorani, Luca; Aiuppa, Alessandro; Angelini, Federico; Borelli, Rodolfo; Del Franco, Mario; Murra, Daniele; Pistilli, Marco; Puiu, Adriana; Santoro, Simone

    2013-10-01

    Accurate knowledge of gas composition in volcanic plumes has high scientific and societal value. On the one hand, it gives information on the geophysical processes taking place inside volcanos; on the other hand, it provides alert on possible eruptions. For this reasons, it has been suggested to monitor volcanic plumes by lidar. In particular, one of the aims of the FP7 ERC project BRIDGE is the measurement of CO2 concentration in volcanic gases by differential absorption lidar. This is a very challenging task due to the harsh environment, the narrowness and weakness of the CO2 absorption lines and the difficulty to procure a suitable laser source. This paper, after a review on remote sensing of volcanic plumes, reports on the current progress of the lidar system.

  15. Space-Based Lidar Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sun, Xiaoli

    2012-01-01

    An overview of space-based lidar systems is presented. from the first laser altimeter on APOLLO 15 mission in 1971 to the Mercury Laser Altimeter on MESSENGER mission currently in orbit, and those currently under development. Lidar, which stands for Light Detection And Ranging, is a powerful tool in remote sensing from space. Compared to radars, lidars operate at a much shorter wavelength with a much narrower beam and much smaller transmitter and receiver. Compared to passive remote sensing instruments. lidars carry their own light sources and can continue measuring day and night. and over polar regions. There are mainly two types of lidars depending on the types of measurements. lidars that are designed to measure the distance and properties of hard targets are often called laser rangers or laser altimeters. They are used to obtain the surface elevation and global shape of a planet from the laser pulse time-of-night and the spacecraft orbit position. lidars that are designed to measure the backscattering and absorption of a volume scatter, such as clouds and aerosols, are often just called lidars and categorized by their measurements. such as cloud and aerosol lidar, wind lidar, CO2 lidar, and so on. The advantages of space-based lidar systems over ground based lidars are the abilities of global coverage and continuous measurements.

  16. Pulsed Airborne Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption and Line Shapes from 3-13 km Altitudes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, J. B.; Riris, H.; Allan, G. R.; Weaver, C.; Hasselbrack, W.; Sun, X.

    2009-01-01

    We have developed a lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric C02 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's planned ASCENDS mission. Our technique uses two pulsed laser transmitters allowing simultaneous measurement of a C02 absorption line in the 1570 nm band, 02 extinction in the Oxygen A-band and surface height and backscatter. The lidar measures the energy and time of flight of the laser echoes reflected from the atmosphere and surface. The lasers are stepped in wavelength across the C02 line and an 02 line region during the measurement. The receiver uses a telescope and photon counting detectors, and measures the background light and energies of the laser echoes from the surface along with scattering from any aerosols in the path. The gas extinction and column densities for the C02 and 02 gases are estimated from the ratio of the on- and off- line signals via the DIAL technique. Time gating is used to isolate the laser echo signals from the surface, and to reject laser photons scattered in the atmosphere. We have developed an airborne lidar to demonstrate the C02 measurement from the NASA Glenn Lear 25 aircraft. The airborne lidar steps the pulsed laser's wavelength across a selected C02 line with 20 steps per scan. The line scan rate is 450 Hz and laser pulse widths are I usec. The time resolved laser backscatter is collected by a 20 cm telescope, detected by a photomultiplier and is recorded by a photon counting system. We made initial airborne measurements on flights during October and December 2008. Laser backscatter and absorption measurements were made over a variety of land and water surfaces and through thin and broken clouds. Atmospheric C02 column measurements using the 1571.4, 1572.02 and 1572.33 nm C02 lines. Two flights were made above the DOE SGP ARM site at altitudes from 3-8 km. These nights were coordinated with DOE investigators who Hew an in-situ C02 sensor on a Cessna aircraft under the path. The increasing C02 line absorptions with

  17. Airborne differential absorption lidar system for measurements of atmospheric water vapor and aerosols

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carter, Arlen F.; Allen, Robert J.; Mayo, M. Neale; Butler, Carolyn F.; Grossman, Benoist E.; Ismail, Syed; Grant, William B.; Browell, Edward V.; Higdon, Noah S.; Mayor, Shane D.; hide

    1994-01-01

    An airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system has been developed at the NASA Langley Research Center for remote measurements of atmospheric water vapor (H2O) and aerosols. A solid-state alexandrite laser with a 1-pm linewidth and greater than 99.85% spectral purity was used as the on-line transmitter. Solid-state avalanche photodiode detector technology has replaced photomultiplier tubes in the receiver system, providing an average increase by a factor of 1.5-2.5 in the signal-to-noise ratio of the H2O measurement. By incorporating advanced diagnostic and data-acquisition instrumentation into other subsystems, we achieved additional improvements in system operational reliability and measurement accuracy. Laboratory spectroscopic measurements of H2O absorption-line parameters were performed to reduce the uncertainties in our knowledge of the absorption cross sections. Line-center H2O absorption cross sections were determined, with errors of 3-6%, for more than 120 lines in the 720-nm region. Flight tests of the system were conducted during 1989-1991 on the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Electra aircraft, and extensive intercomparison measurements were performed with dew-point hygrometers and H2O radiosondes. The H2O distributions measured with the DIAL system differed by less than 10% from the profiles determined with the in situ probes in a variety of atmospheric conditions.

  18. Advanced Intensity-Modulation Continuous-Wave Lidar Techniques for Column CO2 Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, J. F.; Lin, B.; Obland, M. D.; Liu, Z.; Kooi, S. A.; Fan, T. F.; Nehrir, A. R.; Meadows, B.; Browell, E. V.

    2016-12-01

    Advanced Intensity-Modulation Continuous-Wave Lidar Techniques for Column CO2 MeasurementsJoel F. Campbell1, Bing Lin1, Michael D. Obland1, Zhaoyan Liu1, Susan Kooi2, Tai-Fang Fan2, Amin R. Nehrir1, Byron Meadows1, Edward V. Browell31NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 2SSAI, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 3STARSS-II Affiliate, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 AbstractGlobal and regional atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements for the NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) space mission and the Atmospheric Carbon and Transport (ACT) - America project are critical for improving our understanding of global CO2 sources and sinks. Advanced Intensity-Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar techniques are investigated as a means of facilitating CO2 measurements from space and airborne platforms to meet the ASCENDS and ACT-America science measurement requirements. In recent numerical, laboratory and flight experiments we have successfully used the Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation technique to uniquely discriminate surface lidar returns from intermediate aerosol and cloud returns. We demonstrate the utility of BPSK to eliminate sidelobes in the range profile as a means of making Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) column CO2 measurements in the presence of optically thin clouds, thereby minimizing bias errors caused by the clouds. Furthermore, high accuracy and precision ranging to the surface as well as to the top of intermediate cloud layers, which is a requirement for the inversion of column CO2 number density measurements to column CO2 mixing ratios, has been demonstrated using new sub-meter hyperfine interpolation techniques that takes advantage of the periodicity of the modulation waveforms. The BPSK technique under investigation has excellent auto-correlation properties while possessing a finite bandwidth. These techniques are used in a new data processing

  19. Temperature sensitivity of differential absorption lidar measurements of water vapor in the 720-nm region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Browell, Edward V.; Ismail, Syed; Grossmann, Benoist E.

    1991-01-01

    Recently measured properties of water vapor (H2O) absorption lines have been used in calculations to evalute the temperature sensitivity of differential absorption lidar (Dial) H2O measurements. This paper estimates the temperature sensitivity of H2O lines in the 717-733-nm region for both H2O mixing ratio and number density measurements, and discusses the influence of the H2O line ground state energies E-double-prime, the H2O absorption linewidths, the linewidth temperature dependence parameter, and the atmospheric temperature and pressure variations with altitude and location on the temperature sensitivity calculations. Line parameters and temperature sensitivity calculations for 67 H2O lines in the 720-nm band are given which can be directly used in field experiments. Water vapor lines with E-double-prime values in the 100-300/cm range were found to be optimum for Dial measurements of H2O number densities, while E-double-prime values in the 250-500/cm range were found to be optimum for H2O mixing ratio measurements.

  20. Optimization of A 2-Micron Laser Frequency Stabilization System for a Double-Pulse CO2 Differential Absorption Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Songsheng; Yu, Jirong; Bai, Yingsin; Koch, Grady; Petros, Mulugeta; Trieu, Bo; Petzar, Paul; Singh, Upendra N.; Kavaya, Michael J.; Beyon, Jeffrey

    2010-01-01

    A carbon dioxide (CO2) Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) for accurate CO2 concentration measurement requires a frequency locking system to achieve high frequency locking precision and stability. We describe the frequency locking system utilizing Frequency Modulation (FM), Phase Sensitive Detection (PSD), and Proportional Integration Derivative (PID) feedback servo loop, and report the optimization of the sensitivity of the system for the feed back loop based on the characteristics of a variable path-length CO2 gas cell. The CO2 gas cell is characterized with HITRAN database (2004). The method can be applied for any other frequency locking systems referring to gas absorption line.

  1. Differential Absorption Lidar Measurements of Fugitive Benzene Emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, R. A.; Innocenti, F.; Helmore, J.; Gardiner, T.; Finlayson, A.; Connor, A.

    2016-12-01

    The Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique is based on the optical analogue of radar; lidar (light detection and ranging). It provides the capability to remotely measure the concentration and spatial distribution of compounds in the atmosphere. The ability to scan the optical measurement beam throughout the atmosphere enables pollutant concentrations to be mapped, and emission fluxes to be determined when combined with wind data. The NPL DIAL systems can operate in the UV and infrared spectral, enabling the measurement of a range of air pollutants and GHGs including hazardous air pollutants such as benzene. The mobile ground based DIAL systems developed at NPL for pollution monitoring have been used for over 25 years. They have been deployed for routine monitoring, emission factor studies, research investigations and targeted monitoring campaigns. More recently the NPL DIAL has been used in studies to validate other monitoring techniques. In support of this capability, NPL have developed a portable, configurable controlled release system (CRF) able to simulate emissions from typical sources. This has been developed to enable the validation and assessment of fugitive emission monitoring techniques. Following a brief summary of the technique, we outline recent developments in the use of DIAL for monitoring fugitive and diffuse emissions, including the development of a European Standard Method for fugitive emission monitoring. We will present the results of a number of validation exercises using the CRF presenting an update on the performance of DIAL for emission quantification and discuss the wider validation of novel technologies. We will report on recent measurements of the emissions of benzene from industrial sites including a large scale emissions monitoring study carried out by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and will report on the measurement of emissions from petrochemical facilities and examine an example of the identification

  2. Laser Amplifier Development for the Remote Sensing of CO2 from Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Anthony W.; Abshire, James B.; Storm, Mark; Betin, Alexander

    2015-01-01

    Accurate global measurements of tropospheric CO2 mixing ratios are needed to study CO2 emissions and CO2 exchange with the land and oceans. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is developing a pulsed lidar approach for an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar to allow global measurements of atmospheric CO2 column densities from space. Our group has developed, and successfully flown, an airborne pulsed lidar instrument that uses two tunable pulsed laser transmitters allowing simultaneous measurement of a single CO2 absorption line in the 1570 nm band, absorption of an O2 line pair in the oxygen A-band (765 nm), range, and atmospheric backscatter profiles in the same path. Both lasers are pulsed at 10 kHz, and the two absorption line regions are sampled at typically a 300 Hz rate. A space-based version of this lidar must have a much larger lidar power-area product due to the approximately x40 longer range and faster along track velocity compared to airborne instrument. Initial link budget analysis indicated that for a 400 km orbit, a 1.5 m diameter telescope and a 10 second integration time, a approximately 2 mJ laser energy is required to attain the precision needed for each measurement. To meet this energy requirement, we have pursued parallel power scaling efforts to enable space-based lidar measurement of CO2 concentrations. These included a multiple aperture approach consists of multi-element large mode area fiber amplifiers and a single-aperture approach consists of a multi-pass Er:Yb:Phosphate glass based planar waveguide amplifier (PWA). In this paper we will present our laser amplifier design approaches and preliminary results.

  3. High Energy, Narrow Linewidth 1572nm Eryb-Fiber Based MOPA for a Multi-Aperture CO2 Trace-Gas Laser Space Transmitter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Engin, Doruk; Mathason, Brian; Stephen, Mark; Yu, Anthony; Cao, He; Fouron, Jean-Luc; Storm, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Accurate global measurements of tropospheric CO2 mixing ratios are needed to study CO2 emissions and CO2 exchange with the land and oceans. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is developing a pulsed lidar approach for an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar to allow global measurements of atmospheric CO2 column densities from space. Our group has developed, and successfully flown, an airborne pulsed lidar instrument that uses two tunable pulsed laser transmitters allowing simultaneous measurement of a single CO2 absorption line in the 1570 nm band, absorption of an O2 line pair in the oxygen A-band (765 nm), range, and atmospheric backscatter profiles in the same path. Both lasers are pulsed at 10 kHz, and the two absorption line regions are sampled at typically a 300 Hz rate. A space-based version of this lidar must have a much larger lidar power-area product due to the x40 longer range and faster along track velocity compared to airborne instrument. Initial link budget analysis indicated that for a 400 km orbit, a 1.5 m diameter telescope and a 10 second integration time, a 2 mJ laser energy is required to attain the precision needed for each measurement. To meet this energy requirement, we have pursued parallel power scaling efforts to enable space-based lidar measurement of CO2 concentrations. These included a multiple aperture approach consists of multi-element large mode area fiber amplifiers and a single-aperture approach consists of a multi-pass Er:Yb:Phosphate glass based planar waveguide amplifier (PWA). In this paper we will present our laser amplifier design approaches and preliminary results.

  4. Airborne Lidar measurements of the atmospheric pressure profile with tunable Alexandrite lasers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korb, C. L.; Schwemmer, G. K.; Dombrowski, M.; Milrod, J.; Walden, H.

    1986-01-01

    The first remote measurements of the atmospheric pressure profile made from an airborne platform are described. The measurements utilize a differential absorption lidar and tunable solid state Alexandrite lasers. The pressure measurement technique uses a high resolution oxygen A band where the absorption is highly pressure sensitive due to collision broadening. Absorption troughs and regions of minimum absorption were used between pairs of stongly absorption lines for these measurements. The trough technique allows the measurement to be greatly desensitized to the effects of laser frequency instabilities. The lidar system was set up to measure pressure with the on-line laser tuned to the absorption trough at 13147.3/cm and with the reference laser tuned to a nonabsorbing frequency near 13170.0/cm. The lidar signal returns were sampled with a 200 range gate (30 vertical resoltion) and averaged over 100 shots.

  5. Lidar/DIAL detection of bomb factories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorani, Luca; Puiu, Adriana; Rosa, Olga; Palucci, Antonio

    2013-10-01

    One of the aims of the project BONAS (BOmb factory detection by Networks of Advanced Sensors) is to develop a lidar/DIAL (differential absorption lidar) to detect precursors employed in the manufacturing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). At first, a spectroscopic study has been carried out: the infrared (IR) gas phase spectrum of acetone, one of the more important IED precursors, has been procured from available databases and checked with cell measurements. Then, the feasibility of a lidar/DIAL for the detection of acetone vapors has been shown in laboratory, simulating the experimental conditions of a field campaign. Eventually, having in mind measurements in a real scenario, an interferent study has been performed, looking for all known compounds that share with acetone IR absorption in the spectral band selected for its detection. Possible interfering species were investigated, simulating both urban and industrial atmospheres and limits of acetone detection in both environments were identified. This study confirmed that a lidar/DIAL can detect low concentration of acetone at considerable distances.

  6. Pulsed Airborne Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption and Line Shapes from 3-13 km Altitudes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abshire, James; Riris, Haris; Allan, Graham; Weaver, Clark; Mao, Jianping; Sun, Xiaoli; Hasselbrack, William

    2010-01-01

    We have developed a pulsed lidar technique for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations as a candidate for NASA's planned ASCENDS space mission. Our technique uses two pulsed laser transmitters allowing simultaneous measurement of a CO2 absorption line in the 1570 nm band, O2 extinction in the Oxygen A-band and surface height and backscatter. The lidar measures the energy and time of flight of the laser echoes reflected from the atmosphere and surface. The lasers are rapidly and precisely stepped in wavelength across the CO2 line and an O2 line region during the measurement. The direct detection receiver uses a telescope and photon counting detectors, and measures the background light and energies of the laser echoes from the surface along with scattering from any aerosols in the path. The gas extinction and column densities for the CO2 and O2 gases are estimated from the ratio of the on- and off- line signals via the DIAL technique. Time gating is used to isolate the laser echo signals from the surface, and to reject laser photons scattered in the atmosphere. The time of flight of the laser pulses are also used to estimate the height of the scattering surface and to identify cases of mixed cloud and ground scattering. We have developed an airborne lidar to demonstrate the CO2 measurement from the NASA Glenn Lear-25 aircraft. The airborne lidar steps the pulsed laser's wavelength across the selected CO2 line with 20 steps per scan. The line scan rate is 450 Hz, the laser pulse widths are 1 usec, and laser pulse energy is 24 uJ. The time resolved laser backscatter is collected by a 20 cm telescope, detected by a photomultiplier and is recorded by a photon counting system. We made initial airborne measurements on flights during fall 2008. Laser backscatter and absorption measurements were made over a variety of land and water surfaces and through thin clouds. The atmospheric CO2 column measurements using the 1572.33 nm CO2 lines. Two flights were made above the

  7. Lidar instruments proposed for Eos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grant, William B.; Browell, Edward V.

    1990-01-01

    Lidar, an acronym for light detection and ranging, represents a class of instruments that utilize lasers to send probe beams into the atmosphere or onto the surface of the Earth and detect the backscattered return in order to measure properties of the atmosphere or surface. The associated technology has matured to the point where two lidar facilities, Geodynamics Laser Ranging System (GLRS), and Laser Atmospheric Wind Sensor (LAWS) were accepted for Phase 2 studies for Eos. A third lidar facility Laser Atmospheric Sounder and Altimeter (LASA), with the lidar experiment EAGLE (Eos Atmospheric Global Lidar Experiment) was proposed for Eos. The generic lidar system has a number of components. They include controlling electronics, laser transmitters, collimating optics, a receiving telescope, spectral filters, detectors, signal chain electronics, and a data system. Lidar systems that measure atmospheric constituents or meteorological parameters record the signal versus time as the beam propagates through the atmosphere. The backscatter arises from molecular (Rayleigh) and aerosol (Mie) scattering, while attenuation arises from molecular and aerosol scattering and absorption. Lidar systems that measure distance to the Earth's surface or retroreflectors in a ranging mode record signals with high temporal resolution over a short time period. The overall characteristics and measurements objectives of the three lidar systems proposed for Eos are given.

  8. Intensity Modulation Techniques for Continuous-Wave Lidar for Column CO2 Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, J. F.; Lin, B.; Obland, M. D.; Kooi, S. A.; Fan, T. F.; Meadows, B.; Browell, E. V.; Erxleben, W. H.; McGregor, D.; Dobler, J. T.; Pal, S.; O'Dell, C.

    2017-12-01

    Global and regional atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements for the NASA Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) space mission and the Atmospheric Carbon and Transport (ACT) - America project are critical for improving our understanding of global CO2 sources and sinks. Advanced Intensity-Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar techniques are investigated as a means of facilitating CO2 measurements from space and airborne platforms to meet the ASCENDS and ACT-America science measurement requirements. In recent numerical, laboratory and flight experiments we have successfully used the Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) and Linear Swept Frequency modulations to uniquely discriminate surface lidar returns from intermediate aerosol and cloud returns. We demonstrate the utility of BPSK to eliminate sidelobes in the range profile as a means of making Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) column CO2 measurements in the presence of optically thin clouds, thereby eliminating bias errors caused by the clouds. Furthermore, high accuracy and precision ranging to the surface as well as to the top of intermediate cloud layers, which is a requirement for the inversion of column CO2 number density measurements to column CO2 mixing ratios, has been demonstrated using new hyperfine interpolation techniques that take advantage of the periodicity of the modulation waveforms. This approach works well for both BPSK and linear swept-frequency modulation techniques and provides very high (at sub-meter level) range resolution. We compare BPSK to linear swept frequency and introduce a new technique to eliminate sidelobes in situations from linear swept frequency where the SNR is high with results that rival BPSK. We also investigate the effects of non-linear modulators, which can in some circumstances degrade the orthogonality of the waveforms, and show how to avoid this. These techniques are used in a new data processing architecture written in

  9. A Water Vapor Differential Absorption LIDAR Design for Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeYoung, Russell J.; Mead, Patricia F.

    2004-01-01

    This system study proposes the deployment of a water vapor Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) system on an Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform. The Altair offers improved payload weight and volume performance, and longer total flight time as compared to other commercial UAV's. This study has generated a preliminary design for an Altair based water vapor DIAL system. The design includes a proposed DIAL schematic, a review of mechanical challenges such as temperature and humidity stresses on UAV deployed DIAL systems, an assessment of the available capacity for additional instrumentation (based on the proposed design), and an overview of possible weight and volume improvements associated with the use of customized electronic and computer hardware, and through the integration of advanced fiber-optic and laser products. The results of the study show that less than 17% of the available weight, less than 19% of the volume capacity, and approximately 11% of the electrical capacity is utilized by the proposed water vapor DIAL system on the Altair UAV.

  10. The Scheimpflug lidar method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brydegaard, Mikkel; Malmqvist, Elin; Jansson, Samuel; Larsson, Jim; Török, Sandra; Zhao, Guangyu

    2017-08-01

    The recent several years we developed the Scheimpflug lidar method. We combined an invention from the 19th century with modern optoelectronics such as diode lasers and CMOS array from the 21st century. The approach exceeds expectations of background suppression, sensitivity and resolution beyond known from time-of-flight lidars. We accomplished multiband elastic atmospheric lidars for resolving single particles and aerosol plumes from 405 nm to 1550 nm. We pursued hyperspectral differential absorption lidar for molecular species. We demonstrated a simple method of inelastic hyperspectral lidar for profiling aquatic environments and vegetation structure. Not least, we have developed polarimetric Scheimpflug lidar with multi-kHz sampling rates for remote modulation spectroscopy and classification of aerofauna. All these advances are thanks to the Scheimpflug principle. Here we give a review of how far we have come and shed light on the limitations and opportunities for future directions. In particular, we show how the biosphere can be resolved with unsurpassed resolution in space and time, and share our expectation on how this can revolutionize ecological analysis and management in relation to agricultural pests, disease vectors and pollinator problematics.

  11. Spectral control of an alexandrite laser for an airborne water-vapor differential absorption lidar system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ponsardin, Patrick; Grossmann, Benoist E.; Browell, Edward V.

    1994-01-01

    A narrow-linewidth pulsed alexandrite laser has been greatly modified for improved spectral stability in an aircraft environment, and its operation has been evaluated in the laboratory for making water-vapor differential absorption lidar measurements. An alignment technique is described to achieve the optimum free spectral range ratio for the two etalons inserted in the alexandrite laser cavity, and the sensitivity of this ratio is analyzed. This technique drastically decreases the occurrence of mode hopping, which is commonly observed in a tunable, two-intracavity-etalon laser system. High spectral purity (greater than 99.85%) at 730 nm is demonstrated by the use of a water-vapor absorption line as a notch filter. The effective cross sections of 760-nm oxygen and 730-nm water-vapor absorption lines are measured at different pressures by using this laser, which has a finite linewidth of 0.02 cm(exp -1) (FWHM). It is found that for water-vapor absorption linewidths greater than 0.04 cm(exp -1) (HWHM), or for altitudes below 10 km, the laser line can be considered monochromatic because the measured effective absorption cross section is within 1% of the calculated monochromatic cross section. An analysis of the environmental sensitivity of the two intracavity etalons is presented, and a closed-loop computer control for active stabilization of the two intracavity etalons in the alexandrite laser is described. Using a water-vapor absorption line as a wavelength reference, we measure a long-term frequency drift (approximately 1.5 h) of less than 0.7 pm in the laboratory.

  12. Diode-laser-based water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL) profiler evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spuler, S.; Weckwerth, T.; Repasky, K. S.; Nehrir, A. R.; Carbone, R.

    2012-12-01

    We are in the process of evaluating the performance of an eye-safe, low-cost, diode-laser-based, water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL) profiler. This class of instrument may be capable of providing continuous water vapor and aerosol backscatter profiles at high vertical resolution in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) for periods of months to years. The technology potentially fills a national long term observing facility gap and could greatly benefit micro- and meso-meteorology, water cycle, carbon cycle and, more generally, biosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere interaction research at both weather and climate variability time scales. For the evaluation, the Montana State University 3rd generation water vapor DIAL was modified to enable unattended operation for a period of several weeks. The performance of this V3.5 version DIAL was tested at MSU and NCAR in June and July of 2012. Further tests are currently in progress with Howard University at Beltsville, Maryland; and with the National Weather Service and Oklahoma University at Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. The presentation will include a comparison of DIAL profiles against meteorological "truth" at the aforementioned locations including: radiosondes, Raman lidars, microwave and IR radiometers, AERONET and SUOMINET systems. Instrument reliability, uncertainty, systematic biases, detection height statistics, and environmental complications will be evaluated. Performance will be judged in the context of diverse scientific applications that range from operational weather prediction and seasonal climate variability, to more demanding climate system process studies at the land-canopy-ABL interface. Estimating the extent to which such research and operational applications can be satisfied with a low cost autonomous network of similar instruments is our principal objective.

  13. A Methane Lidar for Greenhouse Gas Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Wu, Stewart; Gonzalez, Brayler; Rodriguez, Michael; Fahey, Molly; Kawa, Stephan R.; Scott, Stan; Yu, Anthony; Stephen, Mark; hide

    2017-01-01

    Atmospheric methane is the second most important greenhouse gas with 25 times the radiativeforcing of carbon dioxide. We will present results from an airborne campaign using a lidar at1.65m using optical parametric generation. OCIS codes: ((280.1910) DIAL, differential absorption lidar; (120.0280) Remote sensing and sensors; (010.1280) Atmospheric composition.

  14. Atmospheric aerosol and gas sensing using Scheimpflug lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mei, Liang; Brydegaard, Mikkel

    2015-04-01

    This work presents a new lidar technique for atmospheric remote sensing based on Scheimpflug principle, which describes the relationship between nonparallel image- and object-planes[1]. When a laser beam is transmitted into the atmosphere, the implication is that the backscattering echo of the entire illuminated probe volume can be in focus simultaneously without diminishing the aperture. The range-resolved backscattering echo can be retrieved by using a tilted line scan or two-dimensional CCD/CMOS camera. Rather than employing nanosecond-pulsed lasers, cascade detectors, and MHz signal sampling, all of high cost and complexity, we have developed a robust and inexpensive atmospheric lidar system based on compact laser diodes and array detectors. We present initial applications of the Scheimpflug lidar for atmospheric aerosol monitoring in bright sunlight, with a 3 W, 808 nm CW laser diode. Kilohertz sampling rates are also achieved with applications for wind speed and entomology [2]. Further, a proof-of-principle demonstration of differential absorption lidar (DIAL) based on the Scheimpflug lidar technique is presented [3]. By utilizing a 30 mW narrow band CW laser diode emitting at around 760 nm, the detailed shape of an oxygen absorption line can be resolved remotely with an integration time of 6 s and measurement cycle of 1 minute during night time. The promising results demonstrated in this work show potential for the Scheimpflug lidar technique for remote atmospheric aerosol and gas sensing, and renews hope for robust and realistic instrumentation for atmospheric lidar sensing. [1] F. Blais, "Review of 20 years of range sensor development," Journal of Electronic Imaging, vol. 13, pp. 231-243, Jan 2004. [2] M. Brydegaard, A. Gebru, and S. Svanberg, "Super resolution laser radar with blinking atmospheric particles - application to interacting flying insects " Progress In Electromagnetics Research, vol. 147, pp. 141-151, 2014. [3] L. Mei and M. Brydegaard

  15. Water vapor lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ellingson, R.; Mcilrath, T.; Schwemmer, G.; Wilkerson, T. D.

    1976-01-01

    The feasibility was studied of measuring atmospheric water vapor by means of a tunable lidar operated from the space shuttle. The specific method evaluated was differential absorption, a two-color method in which the atmospheric path of interest is traversed by two laser pulses. Results are reported.

  16. WALES: water vapour lidar experiment in space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerin, F.; Pain, Th.; Palmade, J.-L.; Pailharey, E.; Giraud, D.; Jubineau, F.

    2017-11-01

    The WAter vapour Lidar Experiment in Space (WALES) mission aims at providing water vapour profiles with high accuracy and vertical resolution through the troposphere and the lower stratosphere on a global scale using an instrument based on Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) observation technique, and mounted on an Earth orbiting satellite. This active DIAL technique will also provide data on the cloud coverage by means of the signal reflection on the cloud layers. In DIAL operation, backscatter lidar signals at two wavelengths - at least - are detected. One wavelength (λ ON) is highly absorbed by the species of interest, while the other (λ OFF) is backscattered with minimal absorption. This difference in absorption at the two transmitted wavelengths leads to the determination of the concentration of the species of interest. The DIAL is therefore a dual-wavelength lidar in which the signals detected at the two wavelengths are processed to extract the absolute density of water vapour. The Phase A study performed by ALCATEL Space and their partners under contract of the European Space Agency has led to a credible and innovative concept of instrument, based on a mission performance modelling. The challenge is to foster the scientific return while minimising the development risks and costs of instrument development, in particular the laser transmitter. The paper describes the payload design and the implementation on a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite.

  17. WALES: WAter vapour Lidar Experiment in Space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerin, F.; Pain, Th.; Palmade, J. L.; Pailharey, E.; Giraud, D.; Jubineau, F.

    2004-06-01

    The WAter vapour Lidar Experiment in Space (WALES) mission aims at providing water vapour profiles with high accuracy and vertical resolution through the troposphere and the lower stratosphere on a global scale using an instrument based on Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) observation technique, and mounted on an Earth orbiting satellite. This active DIAL technique will also provide data on the cloud coverage by means of the signal reflection on the cloud layers. In DIAL operation, backscatter lidar signals at two wavelengths - at least - are detected. One wavelength (λ ON) is highly absorbed by the species of interest, while the other (λ OFF) is backscattered with minimal absorption. This difference in absorption at the two transmitted wavelengths leads to the determination of the concentration of the species of interest. The DIAL is therefore a dual-wavelength lidar in which the signals detected at the two wavelengths are processed to extract the absolute density of water vapour. The Phase A study performed by ALCATEL Space and their partners under contract of the European Space Agency has led to a credible and innovative concept of instrument, based on a mission performance modelling. The challenge is to foster the scientific return while minimising the development risks and costs of instrument development, in particular the laser transmitter. The paper describes the payload design and the implementation on a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite.

  18. A new differential absorption lidar to measure sub-hourly fluctuation of tropospheric ozone profiles in the Baltimore-Washington DC region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sullivan, J. T.; McGee, T. J.; Sumnicht, G. K.; Twigg, L. W.; Hoff, R. M.

    2014-04-01

    Tropospheric ozone profiles have been retrieved from the new ground based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center TROPospheric OZone DIfferential Absorption Lidar (GSFC TROPOZ DIAL) in Greenbelt, MD (38.99° N, 76.84° W, 57 m a.s.l.) from 400 m to 12 km a.g.l. Current atmospheric satellite instruments cannot peer through the optically thick stratospheric ozone layer to remotely sense boundary layer tropospheric ozone. In order to monitor this lower ozone more effectively, the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) has been developed, which currently consists of five stations across the US. The GSFC TROPOZ DIAL is based on the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique, which currently detects two wavelengths, 289 and 299 nm. Ozone is absorbed more strongly at 289 nm than at 299 nm. The DIAL technique exploits this difference between the returned backscatter signals to obtain the ozone number density as a function of altitude. The transmitted wavelengths are generated by focusing the output of a quadrupled Nd:YAG laser beam (266 nm) into a pair of Raman cells, filled with high pressure hydrogen and deuterium. Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) within the focus generates a significant fraction of the pump energy at the first Stokes shift. With the knowledge of the ozone absorption coefficient at these two wavelengths, the range resolved number density can be derived. An interesting atmospheric case study involving the Stratospheric-Tropospheric Exchange (STE) of ozone is shown to emphasize the regional importance of this instrument as well as assessing the validation and calibration of data. The retrieval yields an uncertainty of 16-19% from 0-1.5 km, 10-18% from 1.5-3 km, and 11-25% from 3 km to 12 km. There are currently surface ozone measurements hourly and ozonesonde launches occasionally, but this system will be the first to make routine tropospheric ozone profile measurements in the Baltimore-Washington DC area.

  19. Characteristics of an airborne demonstrator for MERLIN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amediek, A.; Büdenbender, C.; Ehret, G.; Fix, A.; Kiemle, C.; Quatrevalet, M.; Wirth, M.; Dieter, H.; Löhring, J.; Klein, V.

    2012-12-01

    After three years development time, first test measurements on DLR's (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) CO2 and CH4 airborne Lidar have started. It is an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar for the simultaneous measurement of CO2 and CH4 columns, designed for operation onboard the new German research aircraft HALO. In the framework of the project "CHARM-F", funded by the German ministry of education and research, the lidar was developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer Institut für Lasertechnik and Kayser-Threde. Due to the special features of the aircraft, such as the maximum flight altitude of 15 km and its long range, as well as the special design of the lidar, the system is particularly suitable to be an airborne demonstrator for the French-German MERLIN project, a spaceborne IPDA lidar sounder for methane. The layout of the receiver optics allows a large field of view, i.e. a large laser footprint on ground is possible, comparable to the size obtained by a spaceborne system. So, important features that come along with ground reflectivity issues, such as albedo variations on different spatial scales, can be taken into account in the same way and can be investigated in detail. Furthermore, two detector types are used, PIN photodiodes and APDs, each with specially adapted telescopes, to compare their respective properties. The basic design of the transmitter is identical to the one envisaged for MERLIN. Also important subsystems of the presented lidar, like wavelengths stabilization and output power monitoring, can serve as demonstrators for the satellite system. The main features of the airborne system are: Two almost identical laser systems for CH4 and CO2. Nd:YAG lasers serve as the pump sources for optical parametric oscillators (OPO), injection seeded by laser diodes, to generate the desired online and offline wavelengths in single mode operation. The online wavelength is tuned to an absorption line of the measured trace gas, the

  20. A New Differential Absorption Lidar to Measure Sub-Hourly Fluctuation of Tropospheric Ozone Profiles in the Baltimore - Washington D.C. Region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sullivan, J. T.; McGee, T. J.; Sumnicht, G. K.; Twigg, L. W.; Hoff, R. M.

    2014-01-01

    Tropospheric ozone profiles have been retrieved from the new ground based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center TROPospheric OZone DIfferential Absorption Lidar (GSFC TROPOZ DIAL) in Greenbelt, MD (38.99 N, 76.84 W, 57 meters ASL) from 400 m to 12 km AGL. Current atmospheric satellite instruments cannot peer through the optically thick stratospheric ozone layer to remotely sense boundary layer tropospheric ozone. In order to monitor this lower ozone more effectively, the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) has been developed, which currently consists of five stations across the US. The GSFC TROPOZ DIAL is based on the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique, which currently detects two wavelengths, 289 and 299 nm. Ozone is absorbed more strongly at 289 nm than at 299 nm. The DIAL technique exploits this difference between the returned backscatter signals to obtain the ozone number density as a function of altitude. The transmitted wavelengths are generated by focusing the output of a quadrupled Nd:YAG laser beam (266 nm) into a pair of Raman cells, filled with high pressure hydrogen and deuterium. Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) within the focus generates a significant fraction of the pump energy at the first Stokes shift. With the knowledge of the ozone absorption coefficient at these two wavelengths, the range resolved number density can be derived. An interesting atmospheric case study involving the Stratospheric-Tropospheric Exchange (STE) of ozone is shown to emphasize the regional importance of this instrument as well as assessing the validation and calibration of data. The retrieval yields an uncertainty of 16-19 percent from 0-1.5 km, 10-18 percent from 1.5-3 km, and 11-25 percent from 3 km to 12 km. There are currently surface ozone measurements hourly and ozonesonde launches occasionally, but this system will be the first to make routine tropospheric ozone profile measurements in the Baltimore

  1. Development and operation of a real-time data acquisition system for the NASA-LaRC differential absorption lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Butler, C.

    1985-01-01

    Computer hardware and software of the NASA multipurpose differential absorption lidar (DIAL) sysatem were improved. The NASA DIAL system is undergoing development and experimental deployment for remote measurement of atmospheric trace gas concentration from ground and aircraft platforms. A viable DIAL system was developed with the capability of remotely measuring O3 and H2O concentrations from an aircraft platform. Test flights were successfully performed on board the NASA/Goddard Flight Center Electra aircraft from 1980 to 1984. Improvements on the DIAL data acquisition system (DAS) are described.

  2. Micro-pulse, differential absorption lidar (dial) network for measuring the spatial and temporal distribution of water vapor in the lower atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spuler, Scott; Repasky, Kevin; Hayman, Matt; Nehrir, Amin

    2018-04-01

    The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Montana State Univeristy (MSU) are developing a test network of five micro-pulse differential absorption lidars to continuously measure high-vertical-resolution water vapor in the lower atmosphere. The instruments are accurate, yet low-cost; operate unattended, and eye-safe - all key features to enable the larger network needed to characterize atmospheric moisture variability which influences important processes related to weather and climate.

  3. Airborne Lidar Measurements of Atmospheric Pressure Made Using the Oxygen A-Band

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Rodriquez, Michael; Allan, Graham R.; Hasselbrack, William E.; Stephen, Mark A.; Abshire, James B.

    2011-01-01

    We report on airborne measurements of atmospheric pressure using a fiber-laser based lidar operating in the oxygen A-band near 765 nm and the integrated path differential absorption measurement technique. Our lidar uses fiber optic technology and non-linear optics to generate tunable laser radiation at 765 nm, which overlaps an absorption line pair in the Oxygen A-band. We use a pulsed time resolved technique, which rapidly steps the laser wavelength across the absorption line pair, a 20 cm telescope and photon counting detector to measure Oxygen concentrations.

  4. Phototransistors Development and their Applications to Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abedin, M. N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Ismail, Syed; Singh, Upendra N.

    2007-01-01

    Custom-designed two-micron phototransistors have been developed using Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE), Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) techniques under Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP). The devices were characterized in the Detector Characterization Laboratory at NASA Langley Research Center. It appears that the performance of LPE- and MBE-grown phototransistors such as responsivity, noise-equivalent-power, and gain, are better than MOCVD-grown devices. Lidar tests have been conducted using LPE and MBE devices under the 2-micrometer CO2 Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado. The main focus of these tests was to examine the phototransistors performances as compared to commercial InGaAs avalanche photodiode by integrating them into the Raman-shifted Eye-safe Aerosol Lidar (REAL) operating at 1.543 micrometers. A simultaneous measurement of the atmospheric backscatter signals using the LPE phototransistors and the commercial APD demonstrated good agreement between these two devices. On the other hand, simultaneous detection of lidar backscatter signals using MBE-grown phototransistor and InGaAs APD, showed a general agreement between these two devices with a lower performance than LPE devices. These custom-built phototransistors were optimized for detection around 2-micrometer wavelength while the lidar tests were performed at 1.543 micrometers. Phototransistor operation at 2-micron will improve the performance of a lidar system operating at that wavelength. Measurements include detecting hard targets (Rocky Mountains), atmospheric structure consisting of cirrus clouds and boundary layer. These phototransistors may have potential for high sensitivity differential absorption lidar measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor at 2.05-micrometers and 1.9-micrometers, respectively.

  5. Analysis of diffential absorption lidar technique for measurements of anhydrous hydrogen chloride from solid rocket motors using a deuterium fluoride laser

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bair, C. H.; Allario, F.

    1977-01-01

    An active optical technique (differential absorption lidar (DIAL)) for detecting, ranging, and quantifying the concentration of anhydrous HCl contained in the ground cloud emitted by solid rocket motors (SRM) is evaluated. Results are presented of an experiment in which absorption coefficients of HCl were measured for several deuterium fluoride (DF) laser transitions demonstrating for the first time that a close overlap exists between the 2-1 P(3) vibrational transition of the DF laser and the 1-0 P(6) absorption line of HCl, with an absorption coefficient of 5.64 (atm-cm) to the -1 power. These measurements show that the DF laser can be an appropriate radiation source for detecting HCl in a DIAL technique. Development of a mathematical computer model to predict the sensitivity of DIAL for detecting anhydrous HCl in the ground cloud is outlined, and results that assume a commercially available DF laser as the radiation source are presented.

  6. Airborne Lidar measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption and Line Shapes from 3-11 km altitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abshire, J. B.; Riris, H.; Allan, G. R.; Weaver, C.; Mao, J.; Hasselbrack, W.

    2009-04-01

    accommodation study. During 2008 we reconfigured our lidar for airborne use and made measurements of atmospheric CO2 absorption in the nadir column from the aircraft to the surface during 5 flights. The airborne lidar sweeps the laser wavelength across the CO2 line in either 10 or 20 steps per measurement. The line scan rate is ~ 1 KHz and the laser pulse widths are 1 usec. The time resolved laser backscatter is collected by the telescope and detected by a photomultiplier and recorded by a photon counting timing system. We installed our lidar on the NASA Glenn Lear-25 aircraft in October and first made measurements using the 1571.4 nm CO2 absorption line while flying in northern Ohio. We made laser backscatter and absorption measurements over a variety of land surface types, water surfaces and through thin clouds, broken clouds and to cloud tops. Strong laser signals were observed at altitudes from 2.5 to 11 km on two flights. We completed three additional flights during December 2008 and gathered over 6 hours of atmospheric CO2 column measurements using the 1572.02 and 1572.33 nm CO2 lines. Airborne CO2 line shape and absorption measurements were made while flying at 3-11 km altitudes over southwestern Ohio. Subsequently two flights were made from Ponca City OK, just east of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) ARM site. We made 4 hours of airborne measurements in square patterns around the ARM site at altitudes from 3-8 km. The increased CO2 line absorptions at higher altitudes were evident in all flights. The December flights were also coordinated with DOE investigators who flew an in-situ CO2 sensor on a Cessna aircraft inside the CO2 sounder's flight pattern. These yielded two height resolved profiles of CO2 concentrations from 5 km to the surface, which are being analyzed with radiosonde measurements for comparisons. More details of the flights, measurements and their analysis will be described in the presentation.

  7. A lidar system for measuring atmospheric pressure and temperature profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwemmer, Geary K.; Dombrowski, Mark; Korb, C. Laurence; Milrod, Jeffry; Walden, Harvey

    1987-01-01

    The design and operation of a differential absorption lidar system capable of remotely measuring the vertical structure of tropospheric pressure and temperature are described. The measurements are based on the absorption by atmospheric oxygen of the spectrally narrowband output of two pulsed alexandrite lasers. Detailed laser output spectral characteristics, which are critical to successful lidar measurements, are presented. Spectral linewidths of 0.026 and 0.018 per cm for the lasers were measured with over 99.99 percent of the energy contained in three longitudinal modes.

  8. Fast tracking of wind speed with a differential absorption LiDAR system: first results of an experimental campaign at Stromboli volcano

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parracino, Stefano; Santoro, Simone; Maio, Giovanni; Nuvoli, Marcello; Aiuppa, Alessandro; Fiorani, Luca

    2017-04-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered a precursor gas of volcanic eruptions by volcanologists. Monitoring the anomalous release of this parameter, we can retrieve useful information for the mitigation of volcanic hazards, such as for air traffic security. From a dataset collected during the Stromboli volcano field campaign, an assessment of the wind speed, in both horizontal and vertical paths, performing a fast tracking of this parameter was retrieved. This was determined with a newly designed shot-per-shot differential absorption LiDAR system operated in the near-infrared spectral region due to the simultaneous reconstruction of CO2 concentrations and wind speeds, using the same sample of LiDAR returns. A correlation method was used for the wind speed retrieval in which the transport of the spatial inhomogeneities of the aerosol backscattering coefficient, along the optical path of the system, was analyzed.

  9. Integrated Path Differential Absorption Lidar Optimizations Based on Pre-Analyzed Atmospheric Data for ASCENDS Mission Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pliutau, Denis; Prasad, Narasimha S.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper a modeling method based on data reductions is investigated which includes pre analyzed MERRA atmospheric fields for quantitative estimates of uncertainties introduced in the integrated path differential absorption methods for the sensing of various molecules including CO2. This approach represents the extension of our existing lidar modeling framework previously developed and allows effective on- and offline wavelength optimizations and weighting function analysis to minimize the interference effects such as those due to temperature sensitivity and water vapor absorption. The new simulation methodology is different from the previous implementation in that it allows analysis of atmospheric effects over annual spans and the entire Earth coverage which was achieved due to the data reduction methods employed. The effectiveness of the proposed simulation approach is demonstrated with application to the mixing ratio retrievals for the future ASCENDS mission. Independent analysis of multiple accuracy limiting factors including the temperature, water vapor interferences, and selected system parameters is further used to identify favorable spectral regions as well as wavelength combinations facilitating the reduction in total errors in the retrieved XCO2 values.

  10. BELINDA: Broadband Emission Lidar with Narrowband Determination of Absorption. A new concept for measuring water vapor and temperature profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Theopold, F. A.; Weitkamp, C.; Michaelis, W.

    1992-01-01

    We present a new concept for differential absorption lidar measurements of water vapor and temperature profiles. The idea is to use one broadband emission laser and a narrowband filter system for separation of the 'online' and 'offline' return signals. It is shown that BELINDA offers improvements as to laser emission shape and stability requirements, background suppression, and last and most important a significant reduction of the influence of Rayleigh scattering. A suitably designed system based on this concept is presented, capable of measuring water vapor or temperature profiles throughout the planetary boundary layer.

  11. A compact high repetition rate CO2 coherent Doppler lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alejandro, S.; Frelin, R.; Dix, B.; Mcnicholl, P.

    1992-01-01

    As part of its program to develop coherent heterodyne detection lidar technology for space, airborne, and ground based applications, the Optical Environment Division of the USAF's Phillips Laboratory developed a compact coherent CO2 TEA lidar system. Although originally conceived as a high altitude balloon borne system, the lidar is presently integrated into a trailer for ground based field measurements of aerosols and wind fields. In this role, it will also serve as a testbed for signal acquisition and processing development for planned future airborne and space based solid state lidar systems. The system has also found significance in new areas of interest to the Air Force such as cloud studies and coherent Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) systems.

  12. Gating characteristics of photomultiplier tubes for Lidar applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barrick, J. D. W.

    1986-01-01

    A detector test facility was developed and applied in the evaluation and characterization of lidar detectors in support of the multipurpose airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system based at the Langley Research Center (LaRC). A performance data base of various detector configurations available to the DIAL system was obtained for optimum lidar detector selection. Photomultiplier tubes (PMT's) with multialkaline and bialkaline photocathodes were evaluated in voltage-divider networks (bases) by using either the focusing electrode or dynodes as a gating mechanism. Characteristics used for detector evaluation included gain stability, signal rise time, and the ability to block unwanted high light levels.

  13. Comparison of 2 micron Ho and 10 micron CO2 lidar for atmospheric backscatter and Doppler windshear detection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Killinger, Dennis

    1991-01-01

    The development of eye-safe, solid-state Lidar systems is discussed, with an emphasis on Coherent Doppler Lidar for Atmospheric Wind Measurements. The following subject areas are covered: tunable Ho DIAL (Differential Absorption Lidar)/lidar atmospheric measurements; atmospheric turbulence measurements and detector arrays; diurnal measurements of C(sub n)(sup 2) for KSC lidar measurements; and development of single-frequency Ho laser/lidar.

  14. Acousto-optic filtering of lidar signals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kolarov, G.; Deleva, A.; Mitsev, TS.

    1992-01-01

    The predominant part of the noise in lidar receivers is created by the background radiation; therefore, one of the most important elements of the receiving optics is a spectrally selecting filter placed in front of the photodetector. Interference filters are usually used to transmit a given wavelength. Specific properties of the interference filters, such as simple design, reliability, small size, and large aperture, combined with high transmission coefficient and narrow spectral band, make them the preferred spectral device in many cases. However, problems arise in applications such as the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique, where fast tuning within a wide spectral region is necessary. Tunable acousto-optical filters (TAOF), used recently in astrophysical observations to suppress the background radiation, can be employed with success in lidar sounding. They are attractive due to the possibility for fast spectral scanning with a narrow transmission band. The TAOF's advantages are fully evident in DIAL lidars where one must simultaneously receive signals at two laser frequencies.

  15. Opo lidar sounding of trace atmospheric gases in the 3 - 4 μm spectral range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romanovskii, Oleg A.; Sadovnikov, Sergey A.; Kharchenko, Olga V.; Yakovlev, Semen V.

    2018-04-01

    The applicability of a KTA crystal-based laser system with optical parametric oscillators (OPO) generation to lidar sounding of the atmosphere in the spectral range 3-4 μm is studied in this work. A technique developed for lidar sounding of trace atmospheric gases (TAG) is based on differential absorption lidar (DIAL) method and differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS). The DIAL-DOAS technique is tested to estimate its efficiency for lidar sounding of atmospheric trace gases. The numerical simulation performed shows that a KTA-based OPO laser is a promising source of radiation for remote DIAL-DOAS sounding of the TAGs under study along surface tropospheric paths. A possibility of using a PD38-03-PR photodiode for the DIAL gas analysis of the atmosphere is shown.

  16. Airborne measurements of CO2 column concentrations made with a pulsed IPDA lidar using a multiple-wavelength-locked laser and HgCdTe APD detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abshire, James B.; Ramanathan, Anand K.; Riris, Haris; Allan, Graham R.; Sun, Xiaoli; Hasselbrack, William E.; Mao, Jianping; Wu, Stewart; Chen, Jeffrey; Numata, Kenji; Kawa, Stephan R.; Yang, Mei Ying Melissa; DiGangi, Joshua

    2018-04-01

    Here we report on measurements made with an improved CO2 Sounder lidar during the ASCENDS 2014 and 2016 airborne campaigns. The changes made to the 2011 version of the lidar included incorporating a rapidly wavelength-tunable, step-locked seed laser in the transmitter, using a much more sensitive HgCdTe APD detector and using an analog digitizer with faster readout time in the receiver. We also improved the lidar's calibration approach and the XCO2 retrieval algorithm. The 2014 and 2016 flights were made over several types of topographic surfaces from 3 to 12 km aircraft altitudes in the continental US. The results are compared to the XCO2 values computed from an airborne in situ sensor during spiral-down maneuvers. The 2014 results show significantly better performance and include measurement of horizontal gradients in XCO2 made over the Midwestern US that agree with chemistry transport models. The results from the 2016 airborne lidar retrievals show precisions of ˜ 0.7 parts per million (ppm) with 1 s averaging over desert surfaces, which is an improvement of about 8 times compared to similar measurements made in 2011. Measurements in 2016 were also made over fresh snow surfaces that have lower surface reflectance at the laser wavelengths. The results from both campaigns showed that the mean values of XCO2 retrieved from the lidar consistently agreed with those based on the in situ sensor to within 1 ppm. The improved precision and accuracy demonstrated in the 2014 and 2016 flights should benefit future airborne science campaigns and advance the technique's readiness for a space-based instrument.

  17. Spectral Ratio Biospheric Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rall, Jonathan A. R.; Knox, Robert G.

    2004-01-01

    A new active vegetation index measurement technique has been developed and demonstrated using low-power laser diodes to make horizontal-path lidar measurements of nearby deciduous foliage. The two wavelength laser transmitter operates within and adjacent to the 680 nm absorption feature exhibited by all chlorophyll containing vegetation. Measurements from early October through late November 2003 are presented and the results are discussed.

  18. Lidar Observations of Atmospheric CO2 Column During 2014 Summer Flight Campaigns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, Bing; Harrison, F. Wallace; Fan, Tai-Fang

    2015-01-01

    Advanced knowledge in atmospheric CO2 is critical in reducing large uncertainties in predictions of the Earth' future climate. Thus, Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) from space was recommended by the U.S. National Research Council to NASA. As part of the preparation for the ASCENDS mission, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and Exelis, Inc. have been collaborating in development and demonstration of the Intensity-Modulated Continuous-Wave (IM-CW) lidar approach for measuring atmospheric CO2 column from space. Airborne laser absorption lidars such as the Multi-Functional Fiber Laser Lidar (MFLL) and ASCENDS CarbonHawk Experiment Simulator (ACES) operating in the 1.57 micron CO2 absorption band have been developed and tested to obtain precise atmospheric CO2 column measurements using integrated path differential absorption technique and to evaluate the potential of the space ASCENDS mission. This presentation reports the results of our lidar atmospheric CO2 column measurements from 2014 summer flight campaign. Analysis shows that for the 27 Aug OCO-2 under flight over northern California forest regions, significant variations of CO2 column approximately 2 ppm) in the lower troposphere have been observed, which may be a challenge for space measurements owing to complicated topographic condition, heterogeneity of surface reflection and difference in vegetation evapotranspiration. Compared to the observed 2011 summer CO2 drawdown (about 8 ppm) over mid-west, 2014 summer drawdown in the same region measured was much weak (approximately 3 ppm). The observed drawdown difference could be the results of the changes in both meteorological states and the phases of growing seasons. Individual lidar CO2 column measurements of 0.1-s integration were within 1-2 ppm of the CO2 estimates obtained from on-board in-situ sensors. For weak surface reflection conditions such as ocean surfaces, the 1- s integrated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of

  19. Broadband Lidar Technique for Precision CO2 Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heaps, William S.

    2008-01-01

    Presented are preliminary experimental results, sensitivity measurements and discuss our new CO2 lidar system under development. The system is employing an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), superluminescent light emitting diode (SLED) as a source and our previously developed Fabry-Perot interferometer subsystem as a detector part. Global measurement of carbon dioxide column with the aim of discovering and quantifying unknown sources and sinks has been a high priority for the last decade. The goal of Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission is to significantly enhance the understanding of the role of CO2 in the global carbon cycle. The National Academy of Sciences recommended in its decadal survey that NASA put in orbit a CO2 lidar to satisfy this long standing need. Existing passive sensors suffer from two shortcomings. Their measurement precision can be compromised by the path length uncertainties arising from scattering within the atmosphere. Also passive sensors using sunlight cannot observe the column at night. Both of these difficulties can be ameliorated by lidar techniques. Lidar systems present their own set of problems however. Temperature changes in the atmosphere alter the cross section for individual CO2 absorption features while the different atmospheric pressures encountered passing through the atmosphere broaden the absorption lines. Currently proposed lidars require multiple lasers operating at multiple wavelengths simultaneously in order to untangle these effects. The current goal is to develop an ultra precise, inexpensive new lidar system for precise column measurements of CO2 changes in the lower atmosphere that uses a Fabry-Perot interferometer based system as the detector portion of the instrument and replaces the narrow band laser commonly used in lidars with the newly available high power SLED as the source. This approach reduces the number of individual lasers used in the system from three or more

  20. Design of Advanced Atmospheric Water Vapor Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Detection System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Luck, William S., Jr.; DeYoung, Russell J.

    1999-01-01

    The measurement of atmospheric water vapor is very important for understanding the Earth's climate and water cycle. The lidar atmospheric sensing experiment (LASE) is an instrument designed and operated by the Langley Research Center for high precision water vapor measurements. The design details of a new water vapor lidar detection system that improves the measurement sensitivity of the LASE instrument by a factor of 10 are discussed. The new system consists of an advanced, very low noise, avalanche photodiode (APD) and a state-of-the-art signal processing circuit. The new low-power system is also compact and lightweight so that it would be suitable for space flight and unpiloted atmospheric vehicles (UAV) applications. The whole system is contained on one small printed circuit board (9 x 15 sq cm). The detection system is mounted at the focal plane of a lidar receiver telescope, and the digital output is read by a personal computer with a digital data acquisition card.

  1. The use of lidar for stratospheric measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccormick, M. P.

    1977-01-01

    Stratospheric measurements possible with ground-based, airborne, and satellite-borne lidar systems are reviewed. The instruments, basic equations, and formats normally used for various scattering and absorption phenomena measurements are presented including a discussion of elastic, resonance, Raman, and fluorescence scattering techniques.

  2. Advances in Pulsed Lidar Measurements of CO2 Column Concentrations from Aircraft and for Space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abshire, J. B.; Ramanathan, A. K.; Allan, G. R.; Hasselbrack, W. E.; Riris, H.; Numata, K.; Mao, J.; Sun, X.

    2016-12-01

    We have demonstrated an improved pulsed, multiple-wavelength integrated path differential absorption lidar for measuring the tropospheric CO2 concentrations. The lidar measures the range resolved shape of the 1572.33 nm CO2 absorption line to scattering surfaces, including the ground and the tops of clouds. Airborne measurements have used both 30 and 15 fixed wavelength samples distributed across the line. Analysis estimates the lidar range and pulse energies at each wavelength 10 times per second. The retrievals solve for the CO2 absorption line shape and the column average CO2 concentrations by using radiative transfer calculations, the aircraft altitude and range to the scattering surface, and the atmospheric conditions. We compare these to CO2 concentrations from in-situ sensors. In recent campaigns the lidar used a step-locked laser diode source, and a new HgCdTe APD detector in the receiver. During August and September 2014 the ASCENDS campaign flew over the California Central Valley, a coastal redwood forest, desert areas, and above growing crops in Iowa. Analyses show the retrievals of lidar range and CO2 column absorption, and mixing ratio worked well when measuring over variable topography and through thin clouds and aerosols. The retrievals clearly show the decrease in CO2 concentration over growing cropland. Airborne lidar measurements of horizontal gradients of CO2 concentrations across Nevada, Colorado and Nebraska showed good agreement with those from a model of CO2 flux and transport (PCTM). In several flights the agreement of the lidar with the column average concentration was < 1ppm, with standard deviation of 0.9 ppm. Two additional flights were made in February 2016 using a larger laser spot size and an optimized receiver. These improved the sensitivity x3, and the retrievals show 0.7 ppm precision over the desert in 1 second averaging time. A summary of these results will be presented, along with on-going developments for a space version.

  3. Lidar investigations of ozone in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere: technique and results of measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romanovskii, O. A.; Burlakov, V. D.; Dolgii, S. I.; Nevzorov, A. A.; Nevzorov, A. V.; Kharchenko, O. V.

    2016-12-01

    Prediction of atmospheric ozone layer, which is the valuable and irreplaceable geo asset, is currently the important scientific and engineering problem. The relevance of the research is caused by the necessity to develop laser remote methods for sensing ozone to solve the problems of controlling the environment and climatology. The main aim of the research is to develop the technique for laser remote ozone sensing in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere by differential absorption method for temperature and aerosol correction and analysis of measurement results. The report introduces the technique of recovering profiles of ozone vertical distribution considering temperature and aerosol correction in atmosphere lidar sounding by differential absorption method. The temperature correction of ozone absorption coefficients is introduced in the software to reduce the retrieval errors. The authors have determined wavelengths, promising to measure ozone profiles in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere. We present the results of DIAL measurements of the vertical ozone distribution at the Siberian lidar station in Tomsk. Sensing is performed according to the method of differential absorption at wavelength pair of 299/341 nm, which are, respectively, the first and second Stokes components of SRS conversion of 4th harmonic of Nd:YAG laser (266 nm) in hydrogen. Lidar with receiving mirror 0.5 m in diameter is used to implement sensing of vertical ozone distribution in altitude range of 6-18 km. The recovered ozone profiles were compared with IASI satellite data and Kruger model. The results of applying the developed technique to recover the profiles of ozone vertical distribution considering temperature and aerosol correction in the altitude range of 6-18 km in lidar atmosphere sounding by differential absorption method confirm the prospects of using the selected wavelengths of ozone sensing 341 and 299 nm in the ozone lidar.

  4. A Compact Mobile Ozone Lidar for Atmospheric Ozone and Aerosol Profiling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    De Young, Russell; Carrion, William; Pliutau, Denis

    2014-01-01

    A compact mobile differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system has been developed at NASA Langley Research Center to provide ozone, aerosol and cloud atmospheric measurements in a mobile trailer for ground-based atmospheric ozone air quality campaigns. This lidar is integrated into the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) currently made up of four other ozone lidars across the country. The lidar system consists of a UV and green laser transmitter, a telescope and an optical signal receiver with associated Licel photon counting and analog channels. The laser transmitter consist of a Q-switched Nd:YLF inter-cavity doubled laser pumping a Ce:LiCAF tunable UV laser with all the associated power and lidar control support units on a single system rack. The system has been configured to enable mobile operation from a trailer and was deployed to Denver, CO July 15-August 15, 2014 supporting the DISCOVER-AQ campaign. Ozone curtain plots and the resulting science are presented.

  5. Remote sensing of methane with OSAS-lidar on the 2ν3 band Q-branch: Experimental proof

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galtier, Sandrine; Anselmo, Christophe; Welschinger, Jean-Yves; Sivignon, J. F.; Cariou, Jean-Pierre; Miffre, Alain; Rairoux, Patrick

    2018-06-01

    Optical sensors based on absorption spectroscopy play a central role in the detection and monitoring of atmospheric trace gases. We here present for the first time the experimental demonstration of OSAS-Lidar on the remote sensing of CH4 in the atmosphere. This new methodology, the OSAS-Lidar, couples the Optical Similitude Absorption Spectroscopy (OSAS) methodology with a light detection and ranging device. It is based on the differential absorption of spectrally integrated signals following Beer Lambert-Bouguer law, which are range-resolved. Its novelty originates from the use of broadband laser spectroscopy and from the mathematical approach used to retrieve the trace gas concentration. We previously applied the OSAS methodology in laboratory on the 2ν3 methane absorption band, centered at the 1665 nm wavelength and demonstrated that the OSAS-methodology is almost independent from atmospheric temperature and pressure. In this paper, we achieve an OSAS-Lidar device capable of observing large concentrations of CH4 released from a methane source directly into the atmosphere. Comparison with a standard in-situ measurement device shows that the path-integrated concentrations retrieved from OSAS-Lidar methodology exhibit sufficient sensitivity (2 000 ppm m) and observational time resolution (1 s) to remotely sense methane leaks in the atmosphere. The coupling of OSAS-lidar with a wind measurement device opens the way to monitor time-resolved methane flux emissions, which is important in regards to future climate mitigation involving regional reduction of CH4 flux emissions.

  6. New laser design for NIR lidar applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vogelmann, H.; Trickl, T.; Perfahl, M.; Biggel, S.

    2018-04-01

    Recently, we quantified the very high spatio-temporal short term variability of tropospheric water vapor in a three dimensional study [1]. From a technical point of view this also depicted the general requirement of short integration times for recording water-vapor profiles with lidar. For this purpose, the only suitable technique is the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) working in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region. The laser emission of most water vapor DIAL systems is generated by Ti:sapphire or alexandrite lasers. The water vapor absorption band at 817 nm is predominated for the use of Ti:sapphire. We present a new concept of transversely pumping in a Ti:Sapphire amplification stage as well as a compact laser design for the generation of single mode NIR pulses with two different DIAL wavelengths inside a single resonator. This laser concept allows for high output power due to repetitions rates up to 100Hz or even more. It is, because of its compactness, also suitable for mobile applications.

  7. Atmospheric Temperature Profile Measurements Using Mobile High Spectral Resolution Lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razenkov, Ilya I.; Eloranta, Edwin W.

    2016-06-01

    The High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) designed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison discriminates between Mie and Rayleigh backscattering [1]. It exploits the Doppler effect caused by thermal motion of molecules, which broadens the spectrum of the transmitted laser light. That allows for absolute calibration of the lidar and measurements of the aerosol volume backscatter coefficient. Two iodine absorption filters with different absorption line widths (a regular iodine vapor filter and Argon buffered iodine filter) allow for atmospheric temperature profile measurements. The sensitivity of the measured signal-to-air temperature ratio is around 0.14%/K. The instrument uses a shared telescope transmitter-receiver design and operates in eyesafe mode (the product of laser average power and telescope aperture equals 0.1 Wm2 at 532 nm).

  8. Lidar/DIAL detection of acetone at 3.3 μm by a tunable OPO laser system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Puiu, A.; Fiorani, L.; Rosa, O.; Borelli, R.; Pistilli, M.; Palucci, A.

    2014-08-01

    In this paper we report, for the first time to our knowledge, on lidar/DIAL detection of acetone vapors at 3.3 μm by means of an optical parametric tunable laser system. After a preliminary spectroscopic study in an absorption cell, the feasibility of a differential absorption (DIAL) lidar for the detection of acetone vapors has been investigated in the laboratory, simulating the experimental conditions of a field campaign. Having in mind measurements in a real scenario, a study of possible atmospheric intereferents has been performed, looking for all known compounds that share acetone IR absorption in the spectral band selected for its detection. Possible interfering species from urban and industrial atmospheres were investigated and limits of acetone detection in both environments were identified. This study confirmed that a lidar system can detect a low concentration of acetone at considerable distances.

  9. Theory and operation of the real-time data acquisition system for the NASA-LaRC differential absorption lidar (DIAL)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Butler, Carolyn; Spencer, Randall

    1988-01-01

    The improvement of computer hardware and software of the NASA Multipurpose Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system is documented. The NASA DIAL system has undergone development and experimental deployment at NASA/Langley Res. Center for the remote measurement of atmospheric trace gas concentrations from ground and aircraft platforms. A viable DIAL system was developed capable of remotely measuring O3 and H2O concentrations from an aircraft platform. The DIAL Data Acquisition System (DAS) has undergone a number of improvements also. Due to the participation of the DIAL in the Global Tropospheric Experiment, modifications and improvements of the system were tested and used both in the lab and in air. Therefore, this is an operational manual for the DIAL DAS.

  10. Lidar instruments for ESA Earth observation missions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hélière, Arnaud; Armandillo, Errico; Durand, Yannig; Culoma, Alain; Meynart, Roland

    2017-11-01

    The idea of deploying a lidar system on an Earthorbiting satellite stems from the need for continuously providing profiles of our atmospheric structure with high accuracy and resolution and global coverage. Interest in this information for climatology, meteorology and the atmospheric sciences in general is huge. Areas of application range from the determination of global warming and greenhouse effects, to monitoring the transport and accumulation of pollutants in the different atmospheric regions (such as the recent fires in Southeast Asia), to the assessment of the largely unknown microphysical properties and the structural dynamics of the atmosphere itself. Spaceborne lidar systems have been the subject of extensive investigations by the European Space Agency since mid 1970's, resulting in mission and instrument concepts, such as ATLID, the cloud backscatter lidar payload of the EarthCARE mission, ALADIN, the Doppler wind lidar of the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM) and more recently a water vapour Differential Absorption Lidar considered for the WALES mission. These studies have shown the basic scientific and technical feasibility of spaceborne lidars, but they have also demonstrated their complexity from the instrument viewpoint. As a result, the Agency undertook technology development in order to strengthen the instrument maturity. This is the case for ATLID, which benefited from a decade of technology development and supporting studies and is now studied in the frame of the EarthCARE mission. ALADIN, a Direct Detection Doppler Wind Lidar operating in the Ultra -Violet, will be the 1st European lidar to fly in 2007 as payload of the Earth Explorer Core Mission ADM. WALES currently studied at the level of a phase A, is based upon a lidar operating at 4 wavelengths in near infrared and aims to profile the water vapour in the lower part of the atmosphere with high accuracy and low bias. Lastly, the European Space Agency is extending the lidar instrument field

  11. Ultra Narrowband Optical Filters for Water Vapor Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Atmospheric Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stenholm, Ingrid; DeYoung, Russell J.

    2001-01-01

    Differential absorption lidar (DIAL) systems are being deployed to make vertical profile measurements of atmospheric water vapor from ground and airborne platforms. One goal of this work is to improve the technology of such DIAL systems that they could be deployed on space-based platforms. Since background radiation reduces system performance, it is important to reduce it. One way to reduce it is to narrow the bandwidth of the optical receiver system. However, since the DIAL technique uses two or more wavelengths, in this case separated by 0.1 nm, a fixed-wavelength narrowband filter that would encompass both wavelengths would be broader than required for each line, approximately 0.02 nm. The approach employed in this project is to use a pair of tunable narrowband reflective fiber Bragg gratings. The Bragg gratings are germanium-doped silica core fiber that is exposed to ultraviolet radiation to produce index-of-refraction changes along the length of the fiber. The gratings can be tuned by stretching. The backscattered laser radiation is transmitted through an optical circulator to the gratings, reflected back to the optical circulator by one of the gratings, and then sent to a photodiode. The filter reflectivities were >90 percent, and the overall system efficiency was 30 percent.

  12. Remote sensing of chemical warfare agent by CO2 -lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geiko, Pavel P.; Smirnov, Sergey S.

    2014-11-01

    The possibilities of remote sensing of chemical warfare agent by differential absorption method were analyzed. The CO2 - laser emission lines suitable for sounding of chemical warfare agent with provision for disturbing absorptions by water vapor were choose. The detection range of chemical warfare agents was estimated for a lidar based on CO2 - laser The other factors influencing upon echolocation range were analyzed.

  13. Advanced Opto-Electronics (LIDAR and Microsensor Development)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vanderbilt, Vern C. (Technical Monitor); Spangler, Lee H.

    2005-01-01

    Our overall intent in this aspect of the project were to establish a collaborative effort between several departments at Montana State University for developing advanced optoelectronic technology for advancing the state-of-the-art in optical remote sensing of the environment. Our particular focus was on development of small systems that can eventually be used in a wide variety of applications that might include ground-, air-, and space deployments, possibly in sensor networks. Specific objectives were to: 1) Build a field-deployable direct-detection lidar system for use in measurements of clouds, aerosols, fish, and vegetation; 2) Develop a breadboard prototype water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system based on highly stable, tunable diode laser technology developed previously at MSU. We accomplished both primary objectives of this project, in developing a field-deployable direct-detection lidar and a breadboard prototype of a water vapor DIAL system. Paper summarizes each of these accomplishments.

  14. UV Lidar Receiver Analysis for Tropospheric Sensing of Ozone

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pliutau, Denis; DeYoung, Russell J.

    2013-01-01

    A simulation of a ground based Ultra-Violet Differential Absorption Lidar (UV-DIAL) receiver system was performed under realistic daytime conditions to understand how range and lidar performance can be improved for a given UV pulse laser energy. Calculations were also performed for an aerosol channel transmitting at 3 W. The lidar receiver simulation studies were optimized for the purpose of tropospheric ozone measurements. The transmitted lidar UV measurements were from 285 to 295 nm and the aerosol channel was 527-nm. The calculations are based on atmospheric transmission given by the HITRAN database and the Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) meteorological data. The aerosol attenuation is estimated using both the BACKSCAT 4.0 code as well as data collected during the CALIPSO mission. The lidar performance is estimated for both diffuseirradiance free cases corresponding to nighttime operation as well as the daytime diffuse scattered radiation component based on previously reported experimental data. This analysis presets calculations of the UV-DIAL receiver ozone and aerosol measurement range as a function of sky irradiance, filter bandwidth and laser transmitted UV and 527-nm energy

  15. Autonomous Ozone and Aerosol Lidar Platform: Preliminary Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strawbridge, K. B.

    2014-12-01

    Environment Canada is developing an autonomous tropospheric ozone and aerosol lidar system for deployment in support of short-term field studies. Tropospheric ozone and aerosols (PM10 and PM2.5) are important atmospheric constituents in low altitude pollution affecting human health and vegetation. Ozone is photo-chemically active with nitrogen oxides and can have a distinct diurnal variability. Aerosols contribute to the radiative budget, are a tracer for pollution transport, undergo complex mixing, and contribute to visibility and cloud formation. This particular instrument will employ two separate lidar transmitter and receiver assemblies. The tropospheric ozone lidar, based on the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique, uses the fourth harmonics of a Nd:YAG laser directed into a CO2 Raman cell to produce 276 nm, 287nm and 299 nm (first to third Stokes lines) output wavelengths. The aerosol lidar is based on the 3+2 design using a tripled Nd:YAG to output 355 nm, 532 nm and 1064nm wavelengths. Both lidars will be housed in a modified cargo trailer allowing for easy deployment to remote areas. The unit can be operated and monitored 24 hours a day via an internet link and requires an external power source. Simultaneous ozone and aerosol lidar measurements will provide the vertical context necessary to understand the complex mixing and transformation of pollutants - particularly when deployed near other ground-based in-situ sensors. Preliminary results will be shown from a summer field study at the Centre For Atmospheric Research Experiments (CARE).

  16. Lidar Measurements of Methane and Applications for Aircraft and Spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Abshire, James; Li, Steve; Wu, Stewart; Krainak, Michael; Sun, Xiaoli

    2010-01-01

    Atmospheric methane levels have remained relatively constant over the last decade around 1.78 parts per million (ppm) but observations since 2007 show that levels may be increasing. This trend may be caused by increased fossil fuel production, rice farming, livestock and landfills, but the underlying causes are quite uncertain. One hypothesis is that reservoirs of carbon trapped in the permafrost regions of northern Canada, Europe, and Siberia thaw as global temperatures rise and are releasing increasing amounts of methane. Another hypothesis points to increased production of methane by microbes as the permafrost warms. Currently most observations of greenhouse gases are limited to in-situ (surface and tower sites) and limited airborne in-situ measurements. Space column density measurements are starting to become available from the GOSAT mission. Although methane survives for a shorter time in the atmosphere than CO2, its impact on climate change per molecule is about 23 times than that of CO2. Accurate global observations of several greenhouse gases, including methane, are urgently needed in order to better understand climate change processes and to reduce the uncertainty in the carbon budget. Differential absorption lidar is a well-established technique to measure atmospheric gases, and methane has optical absorption bands near 1.65,2.2,3.4 and 7.8 micron. The near infrared overtones lines of CH4 near 1650 nm are relatively free of interference from other species. There are absorption lines near 1651 nm which are both temperature insensitive and have line strengths well suited for lidar measurements. We have developed a laser and demonstrated lidar measurements of CH4 using lines in this band. Our laser uses a narrow linewidth 1064 nm laser pulse passing through a nonlinear crystal. We generate the tunable laser signals near 1651 nm by using the optical parametric amplification (OPA) process. Inside the crystal the 1064 nm beam overlaps with an injection seed

  17. Lidar Measurements of Methane and Applications for Aircraft and Spacecraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Abshire, James; Li, Steve; Wu, Stewart; Krainak, Michael; Sun, Xiaoli

    2010-05-01

    Atmospheric methane levels have remained relatively constant over the last decade around 1.78 parts per million (ppm) but observations since 2007 show that levels may be increasing. This trend may be caused by increased fossil fuel production, rice farming, livestock and landfills, but the underlying causes are quite uncertain. One hypothesis is that reservoirs of carbon trapped in the permafrost regions of northern Canada, Europe, and Siberia thaw as global temperatures rise and are releasing increasing amounts of methane. Another hypothesis points to increased production of methane by microbes as the permafrost warms. Currently most observations of greenhouse gases are limited to in-situ (surface and tower sites) and limited airborne in-situ measurements. Space column density measurements are starting to become available from the GOSAT mission. Although methane survives for a shorter time in the atmosphere than CO2, its impact on climate change per molecule is about 23 times than that of CO2. Accurate global observations of several greenhouse gases, including methane, are urgently needed in order to better understand climate change processes and to reduce the uncertainty in the carbon budget. Differential absorption lidar is a well-established technique to measure atmospheric gases, and methane has optical absorption bands near 1.65, 2.2, 3.4 and 7.8 μm. The near infrared overtones lines of CH4 near 1650 nm are relatively free of interference from other species. There are absorption lines near 1651 nm which are both temperature insensitive and have line strengths well suited for lidar measurements. We have developed a laser and demonstrated lidar measurements of CH4 using lines in this band. Our laser uses a narrow linewidth 1064 nm laser pulse passing through a nonlinear crystal. We generate the tunable laser signals near 1651 nm by using the optical parametric amplification (OPA) process. Inside the crystal the 1064 nm beam overlaps with an injection seed

  18. Methods for Retrievals of CO2 Mixing Ratios from JPL Laser Absorption Spectrometer Flights During a Summer 2011 Campaign

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menzies, Robert T.; Spiers, Gary D.; Jacob, Joseph C.

    2013-01-01

    The JPL airborne Laser Absorption Spectrometer instrument has been flown several times in the 2007-2011 time frame for the purpose of measuring CO2 mixing ratios in the lower atmosphere. This instrument employs CW laser transmitters and coherent detection receivers in the 2.05- micro m spectral region. The Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) method is used to retrieve weighted CO2 column mixing ratios. We present key features of the evolving LAS signal processing and data analysis algorithms and the calibration/validation methodology. Results from 2011 flights in various U.S. locations include observed mid-day CO2 drawdown in the Midwest and high spatial resolution plume detection during a leg downwind of the Four Corners power plant in New Mexico.

  19. LIDAR technology developments in support of ESA Earth observation missions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Durand, Yannig; Caron, Jérôme; Hélière, Arnaud; Bézy, Jean-Loup; Meynart, Roland

    2017-11-01

    Critical lidar technology developments have been ongoing at the European Space Agency (ESA) in support of EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols, and Radiation Explorer), the 6th Earth Explorer mission, and A-SCOPE (Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth), one of the candidates for the 7th Earth Explorer mission. EarthCARE is embarking an Atmospheric backscatter Lidar (ATLID) while A-SCOPE is based on a Total Column Differential Absorption Lidar. As EarthCARE phase B has just started, the pre-development activities, aiming at validating the technologies used in the flight design and at verifying the overall instrument performance, are almost completed. On the other hand, A-SCOPE pre-phase A has just finished. Therefore technology developments are in progress, addressing critical subsystems or components with the lowest TRL, selected in the proposed instrument concepts. The activities described in this paper span over a broad range, addressing all critical elements of a lidar from the transmitter to the receiver.

  20. Feasibility Study For A Spaceborne Ozone/Aerosol Lidar System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Campbell, Richard E.; Browell, Edward V.; Ismail, Syed; Dudelzak, Alexander E.; Carswell, Allan I.; Ulitsky, Arkady

    1997-01-01

    Because ozone provides a shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation, determines the temperature profile in the stratosphere, plays important roles in tropospheric chemistry and climate, and is a health risk near the surface, changes in natural ozone layers at different altitudes and their global impact are being intensively researched. Global ozone coverage is currently provided by passive optical and microwave satellite sensors that cannot deliver high spatial resolution measurements and have particular limitations in the troposphere. Vertical profiling DIfferential Absorption Lidars (DIAL) have shown excellent range-resolved capabilities, but these systems have been large, inefficient, and have required continuous technical attention for long term operations. Recently, successful, autonomous DIAL measurements have been performed from a high-altitude aircraft (LASE - Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment), and a space-qualified aerosol lidar system (LITE - Laser In-space Technology Experiment) has performed well on Shuttle. Based on the above successes, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency are jointly studying the feasibility of developing ORACLE (Ozone Research with Advanced Cooperative Lidar Experiments), an autonomously operated, compact DIAL instrument to be placed in orbit using a Pegasus class launch vehicle.

  1. Eye-Safe Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Byer, Robert L.

    1989-01-01

    Laser infrared radar (lidar) undergoing development harmless to human eyes, consists almost entirely of solid-state components, and offers high range resolution. Operates at wavelength of about 2 micrometers. If radiation from such device strikes eye, almost completely absorbed by cornea without causing damage, even if aimed directly at eye. Continuous-wave light from laser oscillator amplified and modulated for transmission from telescope. Small portion of output of oscillator fed to single-mode fiber coupler, where mixed with return pulses. Intended for remote Doppler measurements of winds and differential-absorption measurements of concentrations of gases in atmosphere.

  2. Measurements of Atmospheric CO2 Column in Cloudy Weather Conditions using An IM-CW Lidar at 1.57 Micron

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, Bing; Obland, Michael; Harrison, F. Wallace; Nehrir, Amin; Browell, Edward; Campbell, Joel; Dobler, Jeremy; Meadows, Bryon; Fan, Tai-Fang; Kooi, Susan; hide

    2015-01-01

    This study evaluates the capability of atmospheric CO2 column measurements under cloudy conditions using an airborne intensity-modulated continuous-wave integrated-path-differential-absorption lidar operating in the 1.57-m CO2 absorption band. The atmospheric CO2 column amounts from the aircraft to the tops of optically thick cumulus clouds and to the surface in the presence of optically thin clouds are retrieved from lidar data obtained during the summer 2011 and spring 2013 flight campaigns, respectively.

  3. Progress of 2-micron Detectors for Application to Lidar Remote Sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abedin, M. N.; Refaat, Tamer F.; Ismail, Syed; Koch, Grady; Singh, Upendra N.

    2008-01-01

    AlGaAsSb/InGaAsSb heterojunction phototransistors were developed at Astropower, Inc under Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) for operation in the 2-micron region. These phototransistors were optimized for 2-micron detection and have high quantum efficiency (>60%), high gain (>10(exp 3)) and low noise-equivalent- power (<5x10(exp -14) W/Hz), while operating at low bias voltage. One of these phototransistors was tested in lidar mode using the 2-micron CO2 Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system currently under development under the Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) at NASA Langley. Lidar measurements included detecting atmospheric structures consisting of thin clouds in the mid-altitude and near-field boundary layer. These test results are very promising for the application of phototransistors for the two-micron lidar remote sensing. In addition, HgCdTe avalanche photodiodes (APD) acquired from Raytheon were used in atmospheric testing at 2-microns. A discussion of these measurements is also presented in this paper.

  4. Advances in atmospheric temperature profile measurements using high spectral resolution lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razenkov, Ilya I.; Eloranta, Edwin W.

    2018-04-01

    This paper reports the atmospheric temperature profile measurements using a University of Wisconsin-Madison High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) and describes improvements in the instrument performance. HSRL discriminates between Mie and Rayleigh backscattering [1]. Thermal motion of molecules broadens the spectrum of the transmitted laser light due to Doppler effect. The HSRL exploits this property to allow the absolute calibration of the lidar and measurements of the aerosol volume backscatter coefficient. Two iodine absorption filters with different line widths are used to resolve temperature sensitive changes in Rayleigh backscattering for atmospheric temperature profile measurements.

  5. Study on characteristics of chirp about Doppler wind lidar system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Li-fang; Yang, Guo-tao; Wang, Ji-hong; Yue, Chuan; Chen, Lin-xiang

    2016-11-01

    In the doppler wind lidar, usually every 4MHz frequency error will produce wind error of 1m/s of 532nm laser. In the Doppler lidar system, frequency stabilization was achieved through absorption of iodine molecules. Commands that control the instrumental system were based on the PID algorithm and coded using VB language. The frequency of the seed laser was locked to iodine molecular absorption line 1109 which is close to the upper edge of the absorption range, with long-time (>4h) frequency-locking accuracy being≤0.5MHz and long-time frequency stability being 10-9 . The experimental result indicated that the seed frequency and the pulse laser frequency have a deviation, which effect is called the laser chirp characteristics. Finally chirp test system was constructed and tested the frequency offset in time. And such frequency deviation is known as Chirp of the laser pulse. The real-time measured frequency difference of the continuous and pulsed lights was about 10MHz, long-time stability deviation was around 5MHz. After experimental testing technology mature, which can monitoring the signal at long-term with corrected the wind speed.

  6. Lidar detection of carbon dioxide in volcanic plumes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorani, Luca; Santoro, Simone; Parracino, Stefano; Maio, Giovanni; Del Franco, Mario; Aiuppa, Alessandro

    2015-06-01

    Volcanic gases give information on magmatic processes. In particular, anomalous releases of carbon dioxide precede volcanic eruptions. Up to now, this gas has been measured in volcanic plumes with conventional measurements that imply the severe risks of local sampling and can last many hours. For these reasons and for the great advantages of laser sensing, the thorough development of volcanic lidar has been undertaken at the Diagnostics and Metrology Laboratory (UTAPRAD-DIM) of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). In fact, lidar profiling allows one to scan remotely volcanic plumes in a fast and continuous way, and with high spatial and temporal resolution. Two differential absorption lidar instruments will be presented in this paper: BILLI (BrIdge voLcanic LIdar), based on injection seeded Nd:YAG laser, double grating dye laser, difference frequency mixing (DFM) and optical parametric amplifier (OPA), and VULLI (VULcamed Lidar), based on injection seeded Nd:YAG laser and optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The first one is funded by the ERC (European Research Council) project BRIDGE and the second one by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) project VULCAMED. While VULLI has not yet been tested in a volcanic site, BILLI scanned the gas emitted by Pozzuoli Solfatara (Campi Flegrei volcanic area, Naples, Italy) during a field campaign carried out from 13 to 17 October 2014. Carbon dioxide concentration maps were retrieved remotely in few minutes in the crater area. Lidar measurements were in good agreement with well-established techniques, based on different operating principles. To our knowledge, it is the first time that carbon dioxide in a volcanic plume is retrieved by lidar, representing the first direct measurement of this kind ever performed on an active volcano and showing the high potential of laser remote sensing in geophysical research.

  7. Compact high-pulse-energy ultraviolet laser source for ozone lidar measurements.

    PubMed

    Elsayed, Khaled A; DeYoung, Russell J; Petway, Larry B; Edwards, William C; Barnes, James C; Elsayed-Ali, Hani E

    2003-11-20

    An all solid-state Ti:sapphire laser differential absorption lidar transmitter was developed. This all-solid-state laser provides a compact, robust, and highly reliable laser transmitter for potential application in differential absorption lidar measurements of atmospheric ozone. Two compact, high-energy-pulsed, and injection-seeded Ti:sapphire lasers operating at a pulse repetition frequency of 30 Hz and wavelengths of 867 and 900 nm, with M2 of 1.3, have been experimentally demonstrated and their properties compared with model results. The output pulse energy was 115 mJ at 867 nm and 105 mJ at 900 nm, with a slope efficiency of 40% and 32%, respectively. At these energies, the beam quality was good enough so that we were able to achieve 30 mJ of ultraviolet laser output at 289 and 300 nm after frequency tripling with two lithium triborate nonlinear crystals.

  8. InGaAsSb Detectors' Characterization for 2-Micron CO2 Lidar/DIAL Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Abedin, M. Nurul; Koch, Grady J.; Singh, Upendra N.

    2003-01-01

    Recent interest in monitoring atmospheric CO2 focuses attention on infrared remote sensing using the 2-micron lidar/differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique. Quantum detectors are critical components in this technique, and many research efforts concentrate on developing such devices for the 2-micron wavelength. Characterization results of InGaAsSb quantum detectors for the 2-micron wavelength range are presented, including experimental setup and procedure. Detectors are prototype devices manufactured by using separate absorption and multiplication (SAM) structures. Characterization experiments include V-I measurements, spectral response and its variation with bias voltage and temperature, noise measurements, noise-equivalent-power (NEP) and detectivity calculations, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation. A slight increase in the output signal occurred with increased bias voltage and was associated with a noise level increase. Cooling down the detectors reduces noise and shifts the cutoff wavelength to shorter values. Further improvement in the design and manufacturing process, by increasing the device gain and lowering its noise level, is necessary to meet the required CO2 lidar/DIAL specifications.

  9. Development and Experimental Verification of a High Resolution, Tunable LIDAR Computer Simulation Model for Atmospheric Laser Remote Sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilcox, William Edward, Jr.

    1995-01-01

    A computer program (LIDAR-PC) and associated atmospheric spectral databases have been developed which accurately simulate the laser remote sensing of the atmosphere and the system performance of a direct-detection Lidar or tunable Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system. This simulation program allows, for the first time, the use of several different large atmospheric spectral databases to be coupled with Lidar parameter simulations on the same computer platform to provide a real-time, interactive, and easy to use design tool for atmospheric Lidar simulation and modeling. LIDAR -PC has been used for a range of different Lidar simulations and compared to experimental Lidar data. In general, the simulations agreed very well with the experimental measurements. In addition, the simulation offered, for the first time, the analysis and comparison of experimental Lidar data to easily determine the range-resolved attenuation coefficient of the atmosphere and the effect of telescope overlap factor. The software and databases operate on an IBM-PC or compatible computer platform, and thus are very useful to the research community for Lidar analysis. The complete Lidar and atmospheric spectral transmission modeling program uses the HITRAN database for high-resolution molecular absorption lines of the atmosphere, the BACKSCAT/LOWTRAN computer databases and models for the effects of aerosol and cloud backscatter and attenuation, and the range-resolved Lidar equation. The program can calculate the Lidar backscattered signal-to-noise for a slant path geometry from space and simulate the effect of high resolution, tunable, single frequency, and moderate line width lasers on the Lidar/DIAL signal. The program was used to model and analyze the experimental Lidar data obtained from several measurements. A fixed wavelength, Ho:YSGG aerosol Lidar (Sugimoto, 1990) developed at USF and a tunable Ho:YSGG DIAL system (Cha, 1991) for measuring atmospheric water vapor at 2.1 μm were

  10. Theory and operation of the real-time data acquisition system for the NASA-LaRC differential absorption lidar (DIAL)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Butler, C.

    1986-01-01

    The improvement of computer hardware and software of the NASA Multipurpose Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system is documented. The NASA DIAL system is undergoing development and experimental deployment at NASA Langley Research Center for the remote measurement of atmospheric trace gas concentrations from ground and aircraft platforms. A viable DIAL system was developed capable of remotely measuring O3 and H2O concentrations from an aircraft platform. Test flights of the DIAL system were successfully performed onboard the NASA Goddard Flight Center Electra aircraft from 1980 to 1985. The DIAL Data Acquisition System has undergone a number of improvements over the past few years. These improvements have now been field tested. The theory behind a real time computer system as it applies to the needs of the DIAL system is discussed. This report is designed to be used as an operational manual for the DIAL DAS.

  11. A mobile differential absorption lidar to measure sub-hourly fluctuation of tropospheric ozone profiles in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sullivan, J. T.; McGee, T. J.; Sumnicht, G. K.; Twigg, L. W.; Hoff, R. M.

    2014-10-01

    Tropospheric ozone profiles have been retrieved from the new ground-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center TROPospheric OZone DIfferential Absorption Lidar (GSFC TROPOZ DIAL) in Greenbelt, MD (38.99° N, 76.84° W, 57 m a.s.l.), from 400 m to 12 km a.g.l. Current atmospheric satellite instruments cannot peer through the optically thick stratospheric ozone layer to remotely sense boundary layer tropospheric ozone. In order to monitor this lower ozone more effectively, the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) has been developed, which currently consists of five stations across the US. The GSFC TROPOZ DIAL is based on the DIAL technique, which currently detects two wavelengths, 289 and 299 nm, with multiple receivers. The transmitted wavelengths are generated by focusing the output of a quadrupled Nd:YAG laser beam (266 nm) into a pair of Raman cells, filled with high-pressure hydrogen and deuterium, using helium as buffer gas. With the knowledge of the ozone absorption coefficient at these two wavelengths, the range-resolved number density can be derived. An interesting atmospheric case study involving the stratospheric-tropospheric exchange (STE) of ozone is shown, to emphasize the regional importance of this instrument as well as to assess the validation and calibration of data. There was a low amount of aerosol aloft, and an iterative aerosol correction has been performed on the retrieved data, which resulted in less than a 3 ppb correction to the final ozone concentration. The retrieval yields an uncertainty of 16-19% from 0 to 1.5 km, 10-18% from 1.5 to 3 km, and 11-25% from 3 to 12 km according to the relevant aerosol concentration aloft. There are currently surface ozone measurements hourly and ozonesonde launches occasionally, but this system will be the first to make routine tropospheric ozone profile measurements in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area.

  12. High Spectral Resolution Lidar Measurements of Multiple Scattering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eloranta, E. W.; Piironen, P.

    1996-01-01

    The University of Wisconsin High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) provides unambiguous measurements of backscatter cross section, backscatter phase function, depolarization, and optical depth. This is accomplished by dividing the lidar return into separate particulate and molecular contributions. The molecular return is then used as a calibration target. We have modified the HSRL to use an I2 molecular absorption filter to separate aerosol and molecular signals. This allows measurement in dense clouds. Useful profiles extend above the cloud base until the two way optical depth reaches values between 5 and 6; beyond this, photon counting errors become large. In order to observe multiple scattering, the HSRL includes a channel which records the combined aerosol and molecular lidar return simultaneously with the spectrometer channel measurements of optical properties. This paper describes HSRL multiple scattering measurements from both water and ice clouds. These include signal strengths and depolarizations as a function of receiver field of view. All observations include profiles of extinction and backscatter cross sections. Measurements are also compared to predictions of a multiple scattering model based on small angle approximations.

  13. Characterization of a 16-Bit Digitizer for Lidar Data Acquisition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williamson, Cynthia K.; DeYoung, Russell J.

    2000-01-01

    A 6-MHz 16-bit waveform digitizer was evaluated for use in atmospheric differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements of ozone. The digitizer noise characteristics were evaluated, and actual ozone DIAL atmospheric returns were digitized. This digitizer could replace computer-automated measurement and control (CAMAC)-based commercial digitizers and improve voltage accuracy.

  14. An Ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Receiver System for Use on Unpiloted Atmospheric Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeYoung, Russell J.; Goldschmidt, Soenke

    1999-01-01

    Measurements of global atmosphere ozone concentrations call for flexible lidar systems that can be operated from an unpiloted atmospheric vehicle (UAV) to reduce the cost of measurement missions. A lidar receiver system consisting of a fiber-optic-coupled telescope has been designed and tested for this purpose. The system weight is 13 kg and its volume of 0.06 m 3 would fit into the payload compartment of a Perseus B UAV. The optical efficiency of the telescope is 37 percent at 288 nm and 64 percent at 300 nm. Atmospheric measurements with a DIAL laser system have been performed, and the measured ozone density has matched the data from ozonesondes to an altitude of 7 km.

  15. Lidar mapping of atmospheric atomic mercury in the Wanshan area, China.

    PubMed

    Lian, Ming; Shang, Lihai; Duan, Zheng; Li, Yiyun; Zhao, Guangyu; Zhu, Shiming; Qiu, Guangle; Meng, Bo; Sommar, Jonas; Feng, Xinbin; Svanberg, Sune

    2018-05-08

    A novel mobile laser radar system was used for mapping gaseous atomic mercury (Hg 0 ) atmospheric pollution in the Wanshan district, south of Tongren City, Guizhou Province, China. This area is heavily impacted by legacy mercury from now abandoned mining activities. Differential absorption lidar measurements were supplemented by localized point monitoring using a Lumex RA-915M Zeeman modulation mercury analyzer. Range-resolved concentration measurements in different directions were performed. Concentrations in the lower atmospheric layers often exceeded levels of 100 ng/m 3 for March conditions with temperature ranging from 5 °C to 20 °C. A flux measurement of Hg 0 over a vertical cross section of 0.12 km 2 resulted in about 29 g/h. Vertical lidar sounding at night revealed quickly falling Hg 0 concentrations with height. This is the first lidar mapping demonstration in a heavily mercury-polluted area in China, illustrating the lidar potential in complementing point monitors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Development of tunable high pressure CO2 laser for lidar measurements of pollutants and wind velocities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levine, J. S.; Guerra, M.; Javan, A.

    1980-01-01

    The problem of laser energy extraction at a tunable monochromatic frequency from an energetic high pressure CO2 pulsed laser plasma, for application to remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants by Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) and of wind velocities by Doppler Lidar, was investigated. The energy extraction principle analyzed is based on transient injection locking (TIL) at a tunable frequency. Several critical experiments for high gain power amplification by TIL are presented.

  17. Development of the Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE): An Advanced Airborne DIAL Instrument

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, Alvah S., Jr.; Brown, Kevin E.; Hall, William M.; Barnes, James C.; Edwards, William C.; Petway, Larry B.; Little, Alan D.; Luck, William S., Jr.; Jones, Irby W.; Antill, Charles W., Jr.

    1997-01-01

    The Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) Instrument is the first fully-engineered, autonomous Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) System for the measurement of water vapor in the troposphere (aerosol and cloud measurements are included). LASE uses a double-pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser for the transmitter with a 30 ns pulse length and 150 mJ/pulse. The laser beam is "seeded" to operate on a selected water vapor absorption line in the 815-nm region using a laser diode and an onboard absorption reference cell. A 40 cm diameter telescope collects the backscattered signals and directs them onto two detectors. LASE collects DIAL data at 5 Hz while onboard a NASA/Ames ER-2 aircraft flying at altitudes from 16-21 km. LASE was designed to operate autonomously within the environment and physical constraints of the ER-2 aircraft and to make water vapor profile measurements across the troposphere to better than 10% accuracy. LASE has flown 19 times during the development of the instrument and the validation of the science data. This paper describes the design, operation, and reliability of the LASE Instrument.

  18. Oceanic Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carder, K. L. (Editor)

    1981-01-01

    Instrument concepts which measure ocean temperature, chlorophyll, sediment and Gelbstoffe concentrations in three dimensions on a quantitative, quasi-synoptic basis were considered. Coastal zone color scanner chlorophyll imagery, laser stimulated Raman temperaure and fluorescence spectroscopy, existing airborne Lidar and laser fluorosensing instruments, and their accuracies in quantifying concentrations of chlorophyll, suspended sediments and Gelbstoffe are presented. Lidar applications to phytoplankton dynamics and photochemistry, Lidar radiative transfer and signal interpretation, and Lidar technology are discussed.

  19. A Lidar for Making Range Resolved CO2 Measurements within the Planetary Boundary Layer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burris, John; Riris, Haris; Andrews, Arlyn; Krainak, Mike; Sun, Xiaoli; Abshire, Jim; Colarco, Amelia; Heaps, William

    2006-01-01

    A ground based differential absorption lidar is under development at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to make range resolved measurements of CO2 within the planetary boundary layer. This is a direct detection lidar designed for both photon counting and analog use. Technology being developed for this instrument will be discussed including efforts in fiber lasers, optical parametric amplifiers and both InGaAs and HgCdTe solid-state detectors. The capabilities of this system are investigated and preliminary results presented.

  20. Lidar measurements of stratospheric ozone at Table Mountain, California, since 1988

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcdermid, I. Stuart; Schmoe, Martha; Walsh, T. Daniel

    1994-01-01

    Regular measurements of stratospheric ozone concentration profiles have been made at Table Mountain, California, since January 1988. During the period to December 1991, 435 independent profiles were measured by the differential absorption lidar technique. These long-term results, and an evaluation of their quality, is presented in this paper.

  1. Lidar Measurements of the Stratosphere and Mesosphere at the Biejing Observatory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Lifang; Yang, Guotao; Cheng, Xuewu; Wang, Jihong

    With the high precision and high spatial and temporal resolution, the lidar has become a powerful weapon of near space environment monitoring. This paper describes the development of the solid-state 532nm and 589nm laser radar, which were used to detect the wind field of Beijing stratosphere and mesopause field. The injection seeding technique and atomic absorption saturation bubble frequency stabilization method was used to obtain narrow linewidth of 532nm lidar, Wherein the laser pulse energy of 800mJ, repetition rate of 30Hz. The 589nm yellow laser achieved by extra-cavity sum-frequency mixing 1064nm and 1319nm pulse laser with KTP crystal. The base frequency of 1064nm and 1319nm laser adopted injection seeding technique and YAG laser amplification for high energy pulse laser. Ultimately, the laser pulse of 150mJ and the linewidth of 130MHz of 589nm laser was obtain. And after AOM crystal frequency shift, Doppler frequency discriminator free methods achieved of the measuring of high-altitude wind. Both of 532nm and 589nm lidar system for engineering design of solid-state lidar provides a basis, and also provide a solid foundation for the development of all-solid-state wind lidar.

  2. An experimental/analytical program to assess the utility of lidar for pollution monitoring

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mills, F. S.; Allen, R. J.; Butler, C. F.; Kindle, E. C.

    1978-01-01

    The development and demonstration of lidar techniques for the remote measurement of atmospheric constituents and transport processes in the lower troposphere was carried out. Particular emphasis was given to techniques for monitoring SO2 and particulates, the principal pollutants in power plant and industrial plumes. Data from a plume dispersion study conducted in Maryland during September and October 1976 were reduced, and a data base was assembled which is available to the scientific community for plume model verification. A UV Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) was built, and preliminary testing was done.

  3. Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Collis, R. T. H.

    1969-01-01

    Lidar is an optical radar technique employing laser energy. Variations in signal intensity as a function of range provide information on atmospheric constituents, even when these are too tenuous to be normally visible. The theoretical and technical basis of the technique is described and typical values of the atmospheric optical parameters given. The significance of these parameters to atmospheric and meteorological problems is discussed. While the basic technique can provide valuable information about clouds and other material in the atmosphere, it is not possible to determine particle size and number concentrations precisely. There are also inherent difficulties in evaluating lidar observations. Nevertheless, lidar can provide much useful information as is shown by illustrations. These include lidar observations of: cirrus cloud, showing mountain wave motions; stratification in clear air due to the thermal profile near the ground; determinations of low cloud and visibility along an air-field approach path; and finally the motion and internal structure of clouds of tracer materials (insecticide spray and explosion-caused dust) which demonstrate the use of lidar for studying transport and diffusion processes.

  4. Lidar base specification

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Heidemann, Hans Karl

    2012-08-17

    In late 2009, a $14.3 million allocation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for new light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data acquisition prompted the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program (NGP) to develop a common minimum specification for all lidar data acquired for The National Map. Released as a working draft in 2010 and formally published in 2012, the USGS–NGP Lidar Base Specification (LBS) was quickly embraced by numerous States, counties, and foreign countries as the foundation for their own lidar specifications.Prompted by a growing appreciation for the wide applicability and inherent value of lidar, a consortium of Federal agencies commissioned the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA) study in 2010 to quantify the costs and benefits of a national lidar program. Published in 2012, the NEEA report documented a substantial return on such an investment, defined five quality levels (QL) for elevation data, and recommended an 8-year collection cycle of QL2 lidar data as the optimum balance of benefit and affordability. In response to the study, the USGS–NGP established the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) in 2013 as the interagency vehicle through which the NEEA recommendations could be realized.Lidar is a quickly evolving technology and much has changed in the industry since the previous version of the Lidar Base Specification (LBS) was published. Lidar data have improved in accuracy and spatial resolution, the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing has revised the geospatial accuracy standards, industry standard file formats have been expanded, additional applications for lidar have become accepted, and the need for interoperable data across collections has been realized. This revision to the LBS addresses some of those changes and provides continued guidance towards a nationally consistent lidar dataset.

  5. Diode injection - seeded, 940 nanometer (nm), titanium - sapphire laser for H2O DIAL (differential absorption lidar), measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, George E.

    1992-01-01

    Differential absorption of laser radiation by various molecular species represents both a selective and a sensitive method of measuring specific atmospheric constituents. DIAL measurements can be carried out via two different means. Both involve using two laser pulses with slightly different wavelengths (lambda), (one lambda at a strong absorption line of the molecule of interest, the other detuned into the wing of the line), and comparing the attenuation of the pulses. One approach relies on scattering of the radiation from some conveniently located topographical target. In the other technique elastic scattering from atmospheric aerosols and particulates is used to return the radiation to the lidar receiver system. This case is referred to as the differential absorption and scattering technique, and is the technique we are interested in to measure water vapor at 940 nm. The 940 nm wavelength is extremely desirable to atmospheric scientist interested in accurate DIAL measurements of H2O in the upper and lower troposphere. Simulated measurements using approximately 940 nm and 815 nm lasers at a range of altitudes and experimental conditions are shown. By offering access to larger absorption cross-sections, injected seeded, 940 nm DIAL laser transmitters would allow for more accurate water profile measurements at altitudes from 6 to 16 km than is currently possible with 730 nm and 815 nm DIAL laser transmitters. We have demonstrated the operation of an injected seeded titanium-sapphire (TS) laser operating at approximately 940 nm with an energy of more than 90 mJ per pulse. The TS laser is pumped by a commercial, 600 mJ, 532 nm, 10 Hz Nd:YAG laser. The slope efficiency of the laser using a flat 50 percent R output coupler and a 10 m end-mirror is shown. The laser was injected seeded with a CW, AlGaAs, semiconductor diode laser which had an output of 83 mW. The CW diode seed beam was introduced into the TS laser cavity through a HR end-mirror. When the diode beam is

  6. Performance Simulations for a Spaceborne Methane Lidar Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kiemle, C.; Kawa, Stephan Randolph; Quatrevalet, Mathieu; Browell, Edward V.

    2014-01-01

    Future spaceborne lidar measurements of key anthropogenic greenhouse gases are expected to close current observational gaps particularly over remote, polar, and aerosol-contaminated regions, where actual in situ and passive remote sensing observation techniques have difficulties. For methane, a "Methane Remote Lidar Mission" was proposed by Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt and Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in the frame of a German-French climate monitoring initiative. Simulations assess the performance of this mission with the help of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations of the earth's surface albedo and atmospheric optical depth. These are key environmental parameters for integrated path differential absorption lidar which uses the surface backscatter to measure the total atmospheric methane column. Results showthat a lidar with an average optical power of 0.45W at 1.6 µm wavelength and a telescope diameter of 0.55 m, installed on a low Earth orbit platform(506 km), will measure methane columns at precisions of 1.2%, 1.7%, and 2.1% over land, water, and snow or ice surfaces, respectively, for monthly aggregated measurement samples within areas of 50 × 50 km2. Globally, the mean precision for the simulated year 2007 is 1.6%, with a standard deviation of 0.7%. At high latitudes, a lower reflectance due to snow and ice is compensated by denser measurements, owing to the orbital pattern. Over key methane source regions such as densely populated areas, boreal and tropical wetlands, or permafrost, our simulations show that the measurement precision will be between 1 and 2%.

  7. 315mJ, 2-micrometers Double-Pulsed Coherent Differential Absorption Lidar Transmitter for Atmospheric CO2 Sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Trieu, Bo; Bai, Yingxin; Koch, Grady; Chen, Songsheng; Petzar, Paul; Singh, Upendra N.; Kavaya, Michael J.; Beyon, Jeffrey

    2010-01-01

    The design of a double pulsed, injection seeded, 2-micrometer compact coherent Differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) transmitter for CO2 sensing is presented. This system is hardened for ground and airborne applications. The design architecture includes three continuous wave lasers which provide controlled on and off line seeding, injection seeded power oscillator and a single amplifier operating in double pass configuration. As the derivative a coherent Doppler wind lidar, this instrument has the added benefit of providing wind information. The active laser material used for this application is a Ho: Tm:YLF crystal operates at the eye-safe wavelength. The 3-meter long folded ring resonator produces energy of 130-mJ (90/40) with a temporal pulse length around 220 nanoseconds and 530 nanosecond pulses for on and off lines respectively. The separation between the two pulses is on the order of 200 microseconds. The line width is in the order of 2.5MHz and the beam quality has an M(sup 2) of 1.1 times diffraction limited beam. A final output energy for a pair of both on and off pulses as high as 315 mJ (190/125) at a repetition rate of 10 Hz is achieved. The operating temperature is set around 20 C for the pump diode lasers and 10 C for the rod. Since the laser design has to meet high-energy as well as high beam quality requirements, close attention is paid to the laser head design to avoid thermal distortion in the rod. A side-pumped configuration is used and heat is removed uniformly by passing coolant through a tube slightly larger than the rod to reduce thermal gradient. This paper also discusses the advantage of using a long upper laser level life time laser crystal for DIAL application. In addition issues related to injection seeding with two different frequencies to achieve a transform limited line width will be presented.

  8. High Spectral Resolution Lidar: System Calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vivek Vivekanandan, J.; Morley, Bruce; Spuler, Scott; Eloranta, Edwin

    2015-04-01

    One of the unique features of the high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) is simultaneous measurements of backscatter and extinction of atmosphere. It separates molecular scattering from aerosol and cloud particle backscatter based on their Doppler spectrum width. Scattering from aerosol and cloud particle are referred as Mie scattering. Molecular or Rayleigh scattering is used as a reference for estimating aerosol extinction and backscatter cross-section. Absolute accuracy of the backscattered signals and their separation into Rayleigh and Mie scattering depends on spectral purity of the transmitted signals, accurate measurement of transmit power, and precise performance of filters. Internal calibration is used to characterize optical subsystems Descriptions of high spectral resolution lidar system and its measurement technique can be found in Eloronta (2005) and Hair et al.(2001). Four photon counting detectors are used to measure the backscatter from the combined Rayleigh and molecular scattering (high and low gain), molecular scattering and cross-polarized signal. All of the detectors are sensitive to crosstalk or leakage through the optical filters used to separate the received signals and special data files are used to remove these effects as much as possible. Received signals are normalized with respect to the combined channel response to Mie and Rayleigh scattering. The laser transmit frequency is continually monitored and tuned to the 1109 Iodine absorption line. Aerosol backscatter cross-section is measured by referencing the aerosol return signal to the molecular return signal. Extinction measurements are calculated based on the differences between the expected (theoretical) and actual change in the molecular return. In this paper an overview of calibration of the HSRL is presented. References: Eloranta, E. W., High Spectral Resolution Lidar in Lidar: Range-Resolved Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere, Klaus Weitkamp editor, Springer Series in Optical

  9. Characterization of Advanced Avalanche Photodiodes for Water Vapor Lidar Receivers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Refaat, Tamer F.; Halama, Gary E.; DeYoung, Russell J.

    2000-01-01

    Development of advanced differential absorption lidar (DIAL) receivers is very important to increase the accuracy of atmospheric water vapor measurements. A major component of such receivers is the optical detector. In the near-infrared wavelength range avalanche photodiodes (APD's) are the best choice for higher signal-to-noise ratio, where there are many water vapor absorption lines. In this study, characterization experiments were performed to evaluate a group of silicon-based APD's. The APD's have different structures representative of different manufacturers. The experiments include setups to calibrate these devices, as well as characterization of the effects of voltage bias and temperature on the responsivity, surface scans, noise measurements, and frequency response measurements. For each experiment, the setup, procedure, data analysis, and results are given and discussed. This research was done to choose a suitable APD detector for the development of an advanced atmospheric water vapor differential absorption lidar detection system operating either at 720, 820, or 940 nm. The results point out the benefits of using the super low ionization ratio (SLIK) structure APD for its lower noise-equivalent power, which was found to be on the order of 2 to 4 fW/Hz(sup (1/2)), with an appropriate optical system and electronics. The water vapor detection systems signal-to-noise ratio will increase by a factor of 10.

  10. Lidar - DOE ARM StreamLine Doppler Lidar (Halo) - Raw Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Newsom, Rob

    2017-11-20

    1. Evaluate performance of the Halo Photonics Streamline lidar against a calibrated reference (i.e. the BAO tower). 2. Provide measurements of vertical velocity for use with other scanning lidars to better constrain velocity retrievals. 3. Provide colocated reference for comparison with Vindicator lidars.

  11. Lidar Remote Sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McGill, Matthew J.; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The laser radar, or lidar (for light detection and ranging) is an important tool for atmospheric studies. Lidar provides a unique and powerful method for unobtrusively profiling aerosols, wind, water vapor, temperature, and other atmospheric parameters. This brief overview of lidar remote sensing is focused on atmospheric applications involving pulsed lasers. The level of technical detail is aimed at the educated non-lidar expert and references are provided for further investigation of specific topics. The article is divided into three main sections. The first describes atmospheric scattering processes and the physics behind laser-atmosphere interactions. The second section highlights some of the primary lidar applications, with brief descriptions of each measurement capability. The third section describes the practical aspects of lidar operation, including the governing equation and operational considerations.

  12. Making lidar more photogenic: creating band combinations from lidar information

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stoker, Jason M.

    2010-01-01

    Over the past five to ten years the use and applicability of light detection and ranging (lidar) technology has increased dramatically. As a result, an almost exponential amount of lidar data is being collected across the country for a wide range of applications, and it is currently the technology of choice for high resolution terrain model creation, 3-dimensional city and infrastructure modeling, forestry and a wide range of scientific applications (Lin and Mills, 2010). The amount of data that is being delivered across the country is impressive. For example, the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Center for Lidar Information Coordination and Knowledge (CLICK), which is a National repository of USGS and partner lidar point cloud datasets (Stoker et al., 2006), currently has 3.5 percent of the United States covered by lidar, and has approximately another 5 percent in the processing queue. The majority of data being collected by the commercial sector are from discrete-return systems, which collect billions of lidar points in an average project. There are also a lot of discussions involving a potential National-scale Lidar effort (Stoker et al., 2008).

  13. A Preliminary Study of CO2 Flux Measurements by Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gibert, Fabien; Koch, Grady J.; Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; Hilton, T.; Davis, Kenneth J.; Andrews, Arlyn; Ismail, Syed; Singh, Upendra N.

    2008-01-01

    A mechanistic understanding of the global carbon cycle requires quantification of terrestrial ecosystem CO2 fluxes at regional scales. In this paper, we analyze the potential of a Doppler DIAL system to make flux measurements of atmospheric CO2 using the eddy-covariance and boundary layer budget methods and present results from a ground based experiment. The goal of this study is to put CO2 flux point measurements in a mesoscale context. In June 2007, a field experiment combining a 2-m Doppler Heterodyne Differential Absorption Lidar (HDIAL) and in-situ sensors of a 447-m tall tower (WLEF) took place in Wisconsin. The HDIAL measures simultaneously: 1) CO2 mixing ratio, 2) atmosphere structure via aerosol backscatter and 3) radial velocity. We demonstrate how to synthesize these data into regional flux estimates. Lidar-inferred fluxes are compared with eddy-covariance fluxes obtained in-situ at 396m AGL from the tower. In cases where the lidar was not yet able to measure the fluxes with acceptable precision, we discuss possible modifications to improve system performance.

  14. Injection Seeded Laser for Formaldehyde Differential Fluorescence Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwemmer, G.; Yakshin, M.; Prasad, C.; Hanisco, T.; Mylapore, A. R.; Hwang, I. H.; Lee, S.

    2016-01-01

    We describe the design and development of an injection seeded Nd:YVO4 laser for use in a differential fluorescence lidar for measuring atmospheric formaldehyde profiles. A high repetition rate Q-switched laser is modified to accept injection seed input to spectrally narrow and tune the output. The third harmonic output is used to excite formaldehyde (HCHO) fluorescence when tuned to a HCHO absorption line. Spectral confirmation is made with the use of a photoacoustic cell and grating spectrometer.

  15. Can CO2 Turbulent Flux Be Measured by Lidar? A Preliminary Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gilbert, Fabien; Koch, Grady; Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; Hilton, Timothy W.; Davis, Kenneth J.; Andrews, Arlyn; Flamant, Pierre H.; Singh, Upendra N.

    2011-01-01

    The vertical profiling ofCO2 turbulent fluxes in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is investigated using a coherent differential absorption lidar (CDIAL) operated nearby a tall tower in Wisconsin during June 2007. A CDIAL can perform simultaneous range-resolved CO2 DIAL and velocity measurements. The lidar eddy covariance technique is presented. The aims of the study are (i) an assessment of performance and current limitation of available CDIAL for CO2 turbulent fluxes and (ii) the derivation of instrument specifications to build a future CDIAL to perform accurate range-resolved CO2 fluxes. Experimental lidar CO2 mixing ratio and vertical velocity profiles are successfully compared with in situ sensors measurements. Time and space integral scales of turbulence in the ABL are addressed that result in limitation for time averaging and range accumulation. A first attempt to infer CO2 fluxes using an eddy covariance technique with currently available 2-mm CDIAL dataset is reported.

  16. Aerosol Measurements by the Globally Distributed Micro Pulse Lidar Network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spinhirne, James; Welton, Judd; Campbell, James; Berkoff, Tim; Starr, David (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Full time measurements of the vertical distribution of aerosol are now being acquired at a number of globally distributed MP (micro pulse) lidar sites. The MP lidar systems provide full time profiling of all significant cloud and aerosol to the limit of signal attenuation from compact, eye safe instruments. There are currently eight sites in operation and over a dozen planned. At all sited there are also passive aerosol and radiation measurements supporting the lidar data. Four of the installations are at Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program sites. The network operation includes instrument operation and calibration and the processing of aerosol measurements with standard retrievals and data products from the network sites. Data products include optical thickness and extinction cross section profiles. Application of data is to supplement satellite aerosol measurements and to provide a climatology of the height distribution of aerosol. The height distribution of aerosol is important for aerosol transport and the direct scattering and absorption of shortwave radiation in the atmosphere. Current satellite and other data already provide a great amount of information on aerosol distribution, but no passive technique can adequately resolve the height profile of aerosol. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) is an orbital lidar to be launched in early 2002. GLAS will provide global measurements of the height distribution of aerosol. The MP lidar network will provide ground truth and analysis support for GLAS and other NASA Earth Observing System data. The instruments, sites, calibration procedures and standard data product algorithms for the MPL network will be described.

  17. Retrieving the aerosol lidar ratio profile by combining ground- and space-based elastic lidars.

    PubMed

    Feiyue, Mao; Wei, Gong; Yingying, Ma

    2012-02-15

    The aerosol lidar ratio is a key parameter for the retrieval of aerosol optical properties from elastic lidar, which changes largely for aerosols with different chemical and physical properties. We proposed a method for retrieving the aerosol lidar ratio profile by combining simultaneous ground- and space-based elastic lidars. The method was tested by a simulated case and a real case at 532 nm wavelength. The results demonstrated that our method is robust and can obtain accurate lidar ratio and extinction coefficient profiles. Our method can be useful for determining the local and global lidar ratio and validating space-based lidar datasets.

  18. Development of the Global Ozone Lidar Demonstrator (GOLD) Instrument for Deployment on the NASA Global Hawk

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hair, Jonathan W.; Browell, Edward V.; McGee, Thomas; Butler, Carolyn; Fenn, Marta; Os,ao (. Sued); Notari, Anthony; Collins, James; Cleckner, Craig; Hostetler, Chris

    2010-01-01

    A compact ozone (O3) and aerosol lidar system is being developed for conducting global atmospheric investigations from the NASA Global Hawk Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and for enabling the development and test of a space-based O3 and aerosol lidar. GOLD incorporates advanced technologies and designs to produce a compact, autonomously operating O3 and aerosol Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system for a UAV platform. The GOLD system leverages advanced Nd:YAG and optical parametric oscillator laser technologies and receiver optics, detectors, and electronics. Significant progress has been made toward the development of the GOLD system, and this paper describes the objectives of this program, basic design of the GOLD system, and results from initial ground-based atmospheric tests.

  19. Estimation of black carbon content for biomass burning aerosols from multi-channel Raman lidar data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Talianu, Camelia; Marmureanu, Luminita; Nicolae, Doina

    2015-04-01

    Biomass burning due to natural processes (forest fires) or anthropical activities (agriculture, thermal power stations, domestic heating) is an important source of aerosols with a high content of carbon components (black carbon and organic carbon). Multi-channel Raman lidars provide information on the spectral dependence of the backscatter and extinction coefficients, embedding information on the black carbon content. Aerosols with a high content of black carbon have large extinction coefficients and small backscatter coefficients (strong absorption), while aerosols with high content of organic carbon have large backscatter coefficients (weak absorption). This paper presents a method based on radiative calculations to estimate the black carbon content of biomass burning aerosols from 3b+2a+1d lidar signals. Data is collected at Magurele, Romania, at the cross-road of air masses coming from Ukraine, Russia and Greece, where burning events are frequent during both cold and hot seasons. Aerosols are transported in the free troposphere, generally in the 2-4 km altitude range, and reaches the lidar location after 2-3 days. Optical data are collected between 2011-2012 by a multi-channel Raman lidar and follows the quality assurance program of EARLINET. Radiative calculations are made with libRadTran, an open source radiative model developed by ESA. Validation of the retrievals is made by comparison to a co-located C-ToF Aerosol Mass Spectrometer. Keywords: Lidar, aerosols, biomass burning, radiative model, black carbon Acknowledgment: This work has been supported by grants of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, Programme for Research- Space Technology and Advanced Research - STAR, project no. 39/2012 - SIAFIM, and by Romanian Partnerships in priority areas PNII implemented with MEN-UEFISCDI support, project no. 309/2014 - MOBBE

  20. Multi-wavelength differential absorption measurements of chemical species

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, David M.

    algorithms to select filters for use with a MWIR (midwave infrared) imager for detection of plumes of methane, propane, gasoline vapor, and diesel vapor. These simulations were prepared for system designs operating on a down-looking airborne platform. A data analysis algorithm for use with a hydrocarbon imaging system extracts regions of interest from the field-of-view for further analysis. An error analysis is presented for a scanning DAS (Differential Absorption Spectroscopy) lidar system operating from an airborne platform that uses signals scattered from topographical targets. The analysis is built into a simulation program for testing real-time data processing approaches, and to gauge the effects on measurements of path column concentration due to ground reflectivity variations. An example simulation provides a description of the data expected for methane. Several accomplishments of this research include: (1) A new lidar technique for detection and measurement of concentrations of atmospheric species is demonstrated that uses a low-power supercontinuum source. (2) A new multi-wavelength algorithm, which demonstrates excellent performance, is applied to processing spectroscopic data collected by a longpath supercontinuum laser absorption instrument. (3) A simulation program for topographical scattering of a scanning DAS system is developed, and it is validated with aircraft data from the ITT Industries ANGEL (Airborne Natural Gas Emission Lidar) 3-lambda lidar system. (4) An error analysis procedure for DAS is developed, and is applied to measurements and simulations for an airborne platform. (5) A method for filter selection is developed and tested for use with an infrared imager that optimizes the detection for various hydrocarbons that absorb in the midwave infrared. (6) The development of a Fourier analysis algorithm is described that allows a user to rapidly separate hydrocarbon plumes from the background features in the field of view of an imaging system.

  1. Systematic variations in multi-spectral lidar representations of canopy height profiles and gap probability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chasmer, L.; Hopkinson, C.; Gynan, C.; Mahoney, C.; Sitar, M.

    2015-12-01

    Airborne and terrestrial lidar are increasingly used in forest attribute modeling for carbon, ecosystem and resource monitoring. The near infra-red wavelength at 1064nm has been utilised most in airborne applications due to, for example, diode manufacture costs, surface reflectance and eye safety. Foliage reflects well at 1064nm and most of the literature on airborne lidar forest structure is based on data from this wavelength. However, lidar systems also operate at wavelengths further from the visible spectrum (e.g. 1550nm) for eye safety reasons. This corresponds to a water absorption band and can be sensitive to attenuation if surfaces contain moisture. Alternatively, some systems operate in the visible range (e.g. 532nm) for specialised applications requiring simultaneous mapping of terrestrial and bathymetric surfaces. All these wavelengths provide analogous 3D canopy structure reconstructions and thus offer the potential to be combined for spatial comparisons or temporal monitoring. However, a systematic comparison of wavelength-dependent foliage profile and gap probability (index of transmittance) is needed. Here we report on two multispectral lidar missions carried out in 2013 and 2015 over conifer, deciduous and mixed stands in Ontario, Canada. The first used separate lidar sensors acquiring comparable data at three wavelengths, while the second used a single sensor with 3 integrated laser systems. In both cases, wavelenegths sampled were 532nm, 1064nm and 1550nm. The experiment revealed significant differences in proportions of returns at ground level, the vertical foliage distribution and gap probability across wavelengths. Canopy attenuation was greatest at 532nm due to photosynthetic plant tissue absorption. Relative to 1064nm, foliage was systematically undersampled at the 10% to 60% height percentiles at both 1550nm and 532nm (this was confirmed with coincident terrestrial lidar data). When using all returns to calculate gap probability, all

  2. Development of an Eye-Safe Micro-Pulse Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) for Carbon Dioxide Profilings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, W.; Repasky, K. S.; Nehrir, A. R.; Carlsten, J.

    2011-12-01

    A differential absorption lidar (DIAL) for monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2) is under development at Montana State University using commercially available parts. Two distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, one at the on-line wavelength and one at the off-line wavelength are used to injection seed a fiber amplifier. The DIAL operates in the 1.57 micron carbon dioxide absorption band at an on-line wavelength of 1.5714060 microns. The laser transmitter produces 40 μJ pulses with a pulse duration of 1 μs and a pulse repetition frequency of 20 kHz. The scattered light from the laser transmitter is collected using a 28 cm diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. The light collected by the telescope is collimated and then filtered using a 0.8 nm FWHM narrowband interference filter. After the optical filter, the light is coupled into a multimode optical fiber with a 1000 μm core diameter. The output from the optical fiber is coupled into a photomultiplier tube (PMT) used to monitor the return signal. The analog output from the PMT is next incident on a discriminator producing TTL logic pulses for photon counting. The output from the PMT and discriminator is monitored using a multichannel scalar card allowing the counting of the TTL pulses as a function of range. Data from the DIAL instrument is collected in the following manner. The fiber amplifier is injection seeded first with the on-line DFB laser. The return signal as a function of range is integrated using the multichannel scalar for a user defined time, typically set at 6 s. The off-line DFB laser is then used to injection seed the fiber amplifier and the process is repeated. This process is repeated for a user defined period. The CO2 concentration as a function of range is calculated using the on-line and off-line return signals with the DIAL equation. A comparison of the CO2 concentration measured using the DIAL instrument at 1.5 km and a Li-Cor LI-820 in situ sensor located at 1.5 km from the DIAL over a 2.5 hour period

  3. Stratospheric temperature measurement with scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer for wind retrieval from mobile Rayleigh Doppler lidar.

    PubMed

    Xia, Haiyun; Dou, Xiankang; Shangguan, Mingjia; Zhao, Ruocan; Sun, Dongsong; Wang, Chong; Qiu, Jiawei; Shu, Zhifeng; Xue, Xianghui; Han, Yuli; Han, Yan

    2014-09-08

    Temperature detection remains challenging in the low stratosphere, where the Rayleigh integration lidar is perturbed by aerosol contamination and ozone absorption while the rotational Raman lidar is suffered from its low scattering cross section. To correct the impacts of temperature on the Rayleigh Doppler lidar, a high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) based on cavity scanning Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) is developed. By considering the effect of the laser spectral width, Doppler broadening of the molecular backscatter, divergence of the light beam and mirror defects of the FPI, a well-behaved transmission function is proved to show the principle of HSRL in detail. Analysis of the statistical error of the HSRL is carried out in the data processing. A temperature lidar using both HSRL and Rayleigh integration techniques is incorporated into the Rayleigh Doppler wind lidar. Simultaneous wind and temperature detection is carried out based on the combined system at Delhi (37.371°N, 97.374°E; 2850 m above the sea level) in Qinghai province, China. Lower Stratosphere temperature has been measured using HSRL between 18 and 50 km with temporal resolution of 2000 seconds. The statistical error of the derived temperatures is between 0.2 and 9.2 K. The temperature profile retrieved from the HSRL and wind profile from the Rayleigh Doppler lidar show good agreement with the radiosonde data. Specifically, the max temperature deviation between the HSRL and radiosonde is 4.7 K from 18 km to 36 km, and it is 2.7 K between the HSRL and Rayleigh integration lidar from 27 km to 34 km.

  4. Measurement and Study of Lidar Ratio by Using a Raman Lidar in Central China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wei; Gong, Wei; Mao, Feiyue; Pan, Zengxin; Liu, Boming

    2016-05-18

    We comprehensively evaluated particle lidar ratios (i.e., particle extinction to backscatter ratio) at 532 nm over Wuhan in Central China by using a Raman lidar from July 2013 to May 2015. We utilized the Raman lidar data to obtain homogeneous aerosol lidar ratios near the surface through the Raman method during no-rain nights. The lidar ratios were approximately 57 ± 7 sr, 50 ± 5 sr, and 22 ± 4 sr under the three cases with obviously different pollution levels. The haze layer below 1.8 km has a large particle extinction coefficient (from 5.4e-4 m(-1) to 1.6e-4 m(-1)) and particle backscatter coefficient (between 1.1e-05 m(-1)sr(-1) and 1.7e-06 m(-1)sr(-1)) in the heavily polluted case. Furthermore, the particle lidar ratios varied according to season, especially between winter (57 ± 13 sr) and summer (33 ± 10 sr). The seasonal variation in lidar ratios at Wuhan suggests that the East Asian monsoon significantly affects the primary aerosol types and aerosol optical properties in this region. The relationships between particle lidar ratios and wind indicate that large lidar ratio values correspond well with weak winds and strong northerly winds, whereas significantly low lidar ratio values are associated with prevailing southwesterly and southerly wind.

  5. Measurement and Study of Lidar Ratio by Using a Raman Lidar in Central China

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Wei; Gong, Wei; Mao, Feiyue; Pan, Zengxin; Liu, Boming

    2016-01-01

    We comprehensively evaluated particle lidar ratios (i.e., particle extinction to backscatter ratio) at 532 nm over Wuhan in Central China by using a Raman lidar from July 2013 to May 2015. We utilized the Raman lidar data to obtain homogeneous aerosol lidar ratios near the surface through the Raman method during no-rain nights. The lidar ratios were approximately 57 ± 7 sr, 50 ± 5 sr, and 22 ± 4 sr under the three cases with obviously different pollution levels. The haze layer below 1.8 km has a large particle extinction coefficient (from 5.4e-4 m−1 to 1.6e-4 m−1) and particle backscatter coefficient (between 1.1e-05 m−1sr−1 and 1.7e-06 m−1sr−1) in the heavily polluted case. Furthermore, the particle lidar ratios varied according to season, especially between winter (57 ± 13 sr) and summer (33 ± 10 sr). The seasonal variation in lidar ratios at Wuhan suggests that the East Asian monsoon significantly affects the primary aerosol types and aerosol optical properties in this region. The relationships between particle lidar ratios and wind indicate that large lidar ratio values correspond well with weak winds and strong northerly winds, whereas significantly low lidar ratio values are associated with prevailing southwesterly and southerly wind. PMID:27213414

  6. The design, development, and test of balloonborne and groundbased lidar systems. Volume 3: Groundbased lidar systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepherd, O.; Aurilio, G.; Bucknam, R. D.; Hurd, A. G.; Robertie, N. F.

    1991-06-01

    This is Volume 3 of a three volume final report on the design, development and test of balloonborne and groundbased lidar systems. Volume 1 describes the design and fabrication of a balloonborne CO2 coherent payload to measure the 10.6 micrometers backscatter from atmospheric aerosols as a function of altitude. Volume 2 describes the August 1987 flight test of Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment, ABLE 2. In this volume we describe groundbased lidar development and measurements. A design was developed for installation of the ABLE lidar in the GL rooftop dome. A transportable shed was designed to house the ABLE lidar at the various remote measurement sites. Refurbishment and modification of the ABLE lidar were completed to permit groundbased lidar measurements of clouds and aerosols. Lidar field measurements were made at Ascension Island during SABLE 89. Lidar field measurements were made at Terciera, Azores during GABLE 90. These tasks have been successfully completed, and recommendations for further lidar measurements and data analysis have been made.

  7. Performance evaluation of a 1.6-µm methane DIAL system from ground, aircraft and UAV platforms.

    PubMed

    Refaat, Tamer F; Ismail, Syed; Nehrir, Amin R; Hair, John W; Crawford, James H; Leifer, Ira; Shuman, Timothy

    2013-12-16

    Methane is an efficient absorber of infrared radiation and a potent greenhouse gas with a warming potential 72 times greater than carbon dioxide on a per molecule basis. Development of methane active remote sensing capability using the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique enables scientific assessments of the gas emission and impacts on the climate. A performance evaluation of a pulsed DIAL system for monitoring atmospheric methane is presented. This system leverages a robust injection-seeded pulsed Nd:YAG pumped Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) laser technology operating in the 1.645 µm spectral band. The system also leverages an efficient low noise, commercially available, InGaAs avalanche photo-detector (APD). Lidar signals and error budget are analyzed for system operation on ground in the range-resolved DIAL mode and from airborne platforms in the integrated path DIAL (IPDA) mode. Results indicate system capability of measuring methane concentration profiles with <1.0% total error up to 4.5 km range with 5 minute averaging from ground. For airborne IPDA, the total error in the column dry mixing ratio is less than 0.3% with 0.1 sec average using ground returns. This system has a unique capability of combining signals from the atmospheric scattering from layers above the surface with ground return signals, which provides methane column measurement between the atmospheric scattering layer and the ground directly. In such case 0.5% and 1.2% total errors are achieved with 10 sec average from airborne platforms at 8 km and 15.24 km altitudes, respectively. Due to the pulsed nature of the transmitter, the system is relatively insensitive to aerosol and cloud interferences. Such DIAL system would be ideal for investigating high latitude methane releases over polar ice sheets, permafrost regions, wetlands, and over ocean during day and night. This system would have commercial potential for fossil fuel leaks detection and industrial monitoring applications.

  8. Aerosol optical depth under "clear" sky conditions derived from sea surface reflection of lidar signals.

    PubMed

    He, Min; Hu, Yongxiang; Huang, Jian Ping; Stamnes, Knut

    2016-12-26

    There are considerable demands for accurate atmospheric correction of satellite observations of the sea surface or subsurface signal. Surface and sub-surface reflection under "clear" atmospheric conditions can be used to study atmospheric correction for the simplest possible situation. Here "clear" sky means a cloud-free atmosphere with sufficiently small aerosol particles. The "clear" aerosol concept is defined according to the spectral dependence of the scattering cross section on particle size. A 5-year combined CALIPSO and AMSR-E data set was used to derive the aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the lidar signal reflected from the sea surface. Compared with the traditional lidar-retrieved AOD, which relies on lidar backscattering measurements and an assumed lidar ratio, the AOD retrieved through the surface reflectance method depends on both scattering and absorption because it is based on two-way attenuation of the lidar signal transmitted to and then reflected from the surface. The results show that the clear sky AOD derived from the surface signal agrees with the clear sky AOD available in the CALIPSO level 2 database in the westerly wind belt located in the southern hemisphere, but yields significantly higher aerosol loadings in the tropics and in the northern hemisphere.

  9. Measurement of HCl absorption coefficients with a DF laser

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bair, C. H.; Allario, F.

    1977-01-01

    Absorption coefficients in the fundamental P-branch of HCl at several DF laser transitions from 2439.02/cm to 2862.87/cm have been measured experimentally. The 2-1 P(3) DF laser transition has been shown to overlap the P(6) HCl-37 absorption line within the halfwidth of an atmospherically broadened line. The absorption coefficient k was measured to be 5.64 plus or minus 0.28/(atm-cm) for a 0.27% mixture of HCl in N2 at a total pressure of 760 torr. A theoretical and experimental comparison of the pressure dependence of k showed that the 2-1 P(3) DF transition lies 1.32 plus or minus 0.15 GHz from the center of the P(6) HCl absorption line. Applications of these results to differential absorption lidar and to heterodyne detection are discussed.

  10. Linear LIDAR versus Geiger-mode LIDAR: impact on data properties and data quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ullrich, A.; Pfennigbauer, M.

    2016-05-01

    LIDAR has become the inevitable technology to provide accurate 3D data fast and reliably even in adverse measurement situations and harsh environments. It provides highly accurate point clouds with a significant number of additional valuable attributes per point. LIDAR systems based on Geiger-mode avalanche photo diode arrays, also called single photon avalanche photo diode arrays, earlier employed for military applications, now seek to enter the commercial market of 3D data acquisition, advertising higher point acquisition speeds from longer ranges compared to conventional techniques. Publications pointing out the advantages of these new systems refer to the other category of LIDAR as "linear LIDAR", as the prime receiver element for detecting the laser echo pulses - avalanche photo diodes - are used in a linear mode of operation. We analyze the differences between the two LIDAR technologies and the fundamental differences in the data they provide. The limitations imposed by physics on both approaches to LIDAR are also addressed and advantages of linear LIDAR over the photon counting approach are discussed.

  11. Lidar performance analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spiers, Gary D.

    1994-01-01

    Section 1 details the theory used to build the lidar model, provides results of using the model to evaluate AEOLUS design instrument designs, and provides snapshots of the visual appearance of the coded model. Appendix A contains a Fortran program to calculate various forms of the refractive index structure function. This program was used to determine the refractive index structure function used in the main lidar simulation code. Appendix B contains a memo on the optimization of the lidar telescope geometry for a line-scan geometry. Appendix C contains the code for the main lidar simulation and brief instruction on running the code. Appendix D contains a Fortran code to calculate the maximum permissible exposure for the eye from the ANSI Z136.1-1992 eye safety standards. Appendix E contains a paper on the eye safety analysis of a space-based coherent lidar presented at the 7th Coherent Laser Radar Applications and Technology Conference, Paris, France, 19-23 July 1993.

  12. Development of a Coherent Lidar for Aiding Precision Soft Landing on Planetary Bodies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego; Tolson, Robert H.; Powell, Richard W.; Davidson, John B.; Peri, Frank

    2005-01-01

    Coherent lidar can play a critical role in future planetary exploration missions by providing key guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) data necessary for navigating planetary landers to the pre-selected site and achieving autonomous safe soft-landing. Although the landing accuracy has steadily improved over time to approximately 35 km for the recent Mars Exploration Rovers due to better approach navigation, a drastically different guidance, navigation and control concept is required to meet future mission requirements. For example, future rovers will require better than 6 km landing accuracy for Mars and better than 1 km for the Moon plus maneuvering capability to avoid hazardous terrain features. For this purpose, an all-fiber coherent lidar is being developed to address the call for advancement of entry, descent, and landing technologies. This lidar will be capable of providing precision range to the ground and approach velocity data, and in the case of landing on Mars, it will also measure the atmospheric wind and density. The lidar obtains high resolution range information from a frequency modulated-continuous wave (FM-CW) laser beam whose instantaneous frequency varies linearly with time, and the ground vector velocity is directly extracted from the Doppler frequency shift. Utilizing the high concentration of aerosols in the Mars atmosphere (approx. two order of magnitude higher than the Earth), the lidar can measure wind velocity with a few watts of optical power. Operating in 1.57 micron wavelength regime, the lidar can use the differential absorption (DIAL) technique to measure the average CO2 concentration along the laser beam using, that is directly proportional to the Martian atmospheric density. Employing fiber optics components allows for the lidar multi-functional operation while facilitating a highly efficient, compact and reliable design suitable for integration into a spacecraft with limited mass, size, and power resources.

  13. Development of differential absorption lidar (DIAL) for detection of CO2, CH4 and PM in Alberta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wojcik, Michael; Crowther, Blake; Lemon, Robert; Valupadas, Prasad; Fu, Long; Leung, Bonnie; Yang, Zheng; Huda, Quamrul; Chambers, Allan

    2005-05-01

    Rapid expansion of the oil and gas industry in Alberta, including the oil sands, has challenged the Alberta Government to keep pace in its efforts to monitor and mitigate the environmental impacts of development. The limitations of current monitoring systems has pushed the provincial government to seek out advanced sensing technologies such as satellite imagery and laser based sensors. The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) of Utah State University, in cooperation with Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency (AEMERA), has developed North America's first mobile differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system designed specifically for emissions measurement. This instrument is housed inside a 36' trailer which allows for mobility to travel across Alberta to characterize source emissions and to locate fugitive leaks. DIAL is capable of measuring concentrations for carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) at ranges of up to 3 km with a spatial resolution of 10 meters. DIAL can map both CO2 and CH4, as well as particulate matter (PM) in a linear fashion; by scanning the laser beam in both azimuth and elevation DIAL can create images of emissions in two dimensions. DIAL imagery may be used to understand and control production practices, characterize source emissions, determine emission factors, locate fugitive leaks, assess plume dispersion, and confirm air dispersion modeling. A system overview of the DIAL instrument and some representative results will be discussed.

  14. Towards Enhanced Underwater Lidar Detection via Source Separation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Illig, David W.

    Interest in underwater optical sensors has grown as technologies enabling autonomous underwater vehicles have been developed. Propagation of light through water is complicated by the dual challenges of absorption and scattering. While absorption can be reduced by operating in the blue-green region of the visible spectrum, reducing scattering is a more significant challenge. Collection of scattered light negatively impacts underwater optical ranging, imaging, and communications applications. This thesis concentrates on the ranging application, where scattering reduces operating range as well as range accuracy. The focus of this thesis is on the problem of backscatter, which can create a "clutter" return that may obscure submerged target(s) of interest. The main contributions of this thesis are explorations of signal processing approaches to increase the separation between the target and backscatter returns. Increasing this separation allows detection of weak targets in the presence of strong scatter, increasing both operating range and range accuracy. Simulation and experimental results will be presented for a variety of approaches as functions of water clarity and target position. This work provides several novel contributions to the underwater lidar field: 1. Quantification of temporal separation approaches: While temporal separation has been studied extensively, this work provides a quantitative assessment of the extent to which both high frequency modulation and spatial filter approaches improve the separation between target and backscatter. 2. Development and assessment of frequency separation: This work includes the first frequency-based separation approach for underwater lidar, in which the channel frequency response is measured with a wideband waveform. Transforming to the time-domain gives a channel impulse response, in which target and backscatter returns may appear in unique range bins and thus be separated. 3. Development and assessment of statistical

  15. Weather and climate needs for lidar observations from space and concepts for their realization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Atlas, D.; Korb, C. L.

    1981-01-01

    The spectrum of weather and climate needs for lidar observations from space is discussed. This paper focuses mainly on the requirements for winds, temperature, moisture, and pressure. Special emphasis is given to the need for wind observations, and it is shown that winds are required to depict realistically all atmospheric scales in the tropics and the smaller scales at higher latitudes, where both temperature and wind profiles are necessary. The need for means to estimate air-sea exchanges of sensible and latent heat also is noted. Lidar can aid here by measurement of the slope of the boundary layer. Recent theoretical feasibility studies concerning the profiling of temperature, pressure, and humidity by differential absorption lidar (DIAL) from space and expected accuracies are reviewed. Initial ground-based trials provide support for these approaches and also indicate their direct applicability to path-average temperature measurements near the surface. An alternative approach to Doppler lidar wind measurements also is presented. The concept involves the measurement of the displacement of the aerosol backscatter pattern, at constant height, between two successive scans of the same area, one ahead of the spacecraft and the other behind it, a few minutes later. Finally, an integrated space lidar system capable of measuring temperature, pressure, humidity, and winds which combines the DIAL methods with the aerosol pattern displacement concept is described briefly.

  16. A comparison of Doppler lidar wind sensors for Earth-orbit global measurement applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menzies, Robert T.

    1985-01-01

    Now, there are four Doppler lidar configurations which are being promoted for the measurement of tropospheric winds: (1) the coherent CO2 Lidar, operating in the 9 micrometer region using a pulsed, atmospheric pressure CO2 gas discharge laser transmitter, and heterodyne detection; (2) the coherent Neodymium doped YAG or Glass Lidar, operating at 1.06 micrometers, using flashlamp or diode laser optical pumping of the solid state laser medium, and heterodyne detection; (3) the Neodymium doped YAG/Glass Lidar, operating at the doubled frequency (at 530 nm wavelength), again using flashlamp or diode laser pumping of the laser transmitter, and using a high resolution tandem Fabry-Perot filter and direct detection; and (4) the Raman shifted Xenon Chloride Lidar, operating at 350 nm wavelength, using a pulsed, atmospheric pressure XeCl gas discharge laser transmitter at 308 nm, Raman shifted in a high pressure hydrogen cell to 350 nm in order to avoid strong stratospheric ozone absorption, also using a high resolution tandem Fabry-Perot filter and direct detection. Comparisons of these four systems can include many factors and tradeoffs. The major portion of this comparison is devoted to efficiency. Efficiency comparisons are made by estimating the number of transmitted photons required for a single pulse wind velocity estimate of + or - 1 m/s accuracy in the middle troposphere, from an altitude of 800 km, which is assured to be reasonable for a polar orbiting platform.

  17. New Broadband LIDAR for Greenhouse Carbon Dioxide Gas Sensing in the Earth's Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Georgieva, Elena; Heaps, William S.; Huang,Wen

    2011-01-01

    We present demonstration of a novel broadband lidar technique capable of dealing with the atmospherically induced variations in CO2 absorption using a Fabry-Perot based detector and a broadband laser. The Fabry-Perot solid etalon in the receiver part is tuned to match the wavelength of several CO2 absorption lines simultaneously. The broadband technique tremendously reduces the requirement for source wavelength stability, instead putting this responsibility on the Fabry- Perot based receiver. The instrument technology we are developing has a clear pathway to space and realistic potential to become a robust, low risk space measurement system.

  18. Development of a wavelength stabilized seed laser system for an airborne water vapour lidar experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwarzer, H.; Börner, A.; Fix, A.; Günther, B.; Hübers, H.-W.; Raugust, M.; Schrandt, F.; Wirth, M.

    2007-09-01

    At the German Aerospace Center an airborne multi-wavelength differential absorption LIDAR for the measurement of atmospheric water vapour is currently under development. This instrument will enable the retrieval of the complete humidity profile from the surface up to the lowermost stratosphere with high vertical and horizontal resolution at a systematic error below 5%. The LIDAR will work in the wavelength region around 935 nm at three different water vapour absorption lines and one reference wavelength. A major sub-system of this instrument is a highly frequency stabilized seed laser system for the optical parametrical oscillators which generate the narrowband high energy light pulses. The development of the seed laser system includes the control software, the electronic control unit and the opto-mechanical layout. The seed lasers are Peltier-cooled distributed feedback laser diodes with bandwidths of about 30 MHz, each one operating for 200 μs before switching to the next one. The required frequency stability is +/- 30 MHz ≅ +/- 10 -4 nm under the rough environmental conditions aboard an aircraft. It is achieved by locking the laser wavelength to a water vapour absorption line. The paper describes the opto-mechanical layout of the seed laser system, the stabilization procedure and the results obtained with this equipment.

  19. Recent lidar technology developments and their influence on measurements of tropospheric water vapor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ismail, Syed; Browell, Edward V.

    1994-01-01

    In this paper the influences of recent technology developments in the areas of lasers, detectors, andoptical filters of a differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system on the measurenent of tropospheric water vapor (H2O) profiles are discussed. The lidar parameters selected are based upon a diode-seeded Ti:sapphire laser that is locked to an H2O line in the 820- or 930-nm band of H2O. To assess the influence of the mode of deployment on the measurement of tropospheric H2O, DIAL performance is evaluated for operation from a medium-altitude (12 km) aircraft, the ground, and space-based systems. It is found that incorporation of these developments could greatly enhance DIAL measurement capability.

  20. Airborne and Ground-Based Measurements Using a High-Performance Raman Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whiteman, David N.; Rush, Kurt; Rabenhorst, Scott; Welch, Wayne; Cadirola, Martin; McIntire, Gerry; Russo, Felicita; Adam, Mariana; Venable, Demetrius; Connell, Rasheen; hide

    2010-01-01

    -II measurements, along with numerical simulation, were used to determine that the likely reason for the suboptimal airborne aerosol extinction performance during theWAVES_2007 campaign was amisaligned interference filter. With full laser power and a properly tuned interference filter,RASL is shown to be capable ofmeasuring themain water vapor and aerosol parameters with temporal resolutions of between 2 and 45 s and spatial resolutions ranging from 30 to 330 m from a flight altitude of 8 km with precision of generally less than 10%, providing performance that is competitive with some airborne Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) water vapor and High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) aerosol instruments. The use of diode-pumped laser technology would improve the performance of an airborne Raman lidar and permit additional instrumentation to be carried on board a small research aircraft. The combined airborne and ground-based measurements presented here demonstrate a level of versatility in Raman lidar that may be impossible to duplicate with any other single lidar technique.

  1. Aerosol backscatter lidar calibration and data interpretation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kavaya, M. J.; Menzies, R. T.

    1984-01-01

    A treatment of the various factors involved in lidar data acquisition and analysis is presented. This treatment highlights sources of fundamental, systematic, modeling, and calibration errors that may affect the accurate interpretation and calibration of lidar aerosol backscatter data. The discussion primarily pertains to ground based, pulsed CO2 lidars that probe the troposphere and are calibrated using large, hard calibration targets. However, a large part of the analysis is relevant to other types of lidar systems such as lidars operating at other wavelengths; continuous wave (CW) lidars; lidars operating in other regions of the atmosphere; lidars measuring nonaerosol elastic or inelastic backscatter; airborne or Earth-orbiting lidar platforms; and lidars employing combinations of the above characteristics.

  2. Doppler lidar signal and turbulence study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frost, W.; Huang, K. H.; Fitzjarrald, D. F.

    1983-01-01

    Comparison of the second moments of the Doppler lidar signal with aircraft and tower measured parameters is being carried out. Lidar binary data tapes were successfully converted to ASCII Code on the VAX 11/780. These data were used to develop the computer programs for analyzing data from the Marshall Space Flight Center field test. Raw lidar amplitude along the first 50 forward and backward beams of Run No. 2, respectively was plotted. Plotting techniques for the same beams except with the amplitude thresholded and range corrected were developed. Plotting routines for the corresponding lidar width of the first 50 forward and backward beams were also established. The relationship between raw lidar amplitude and lidar width was examined. The lidar width is roughly constant for lidar amplitudes less than 120 dB. A field test with the NASA/MSFC ground based Doppler lidar, the instrumented NASA B-57B gust gradient aircraft, and the NASA/MSFC eight tower array was carried out. The data tape for the lidar was received and read. The aircraft data and tower data are being digitized and converted to engineering units. Velocities computed sequentially along each of the lidar beams beginning at 16:40:00, May 12, 1983 were plotted for Run No. 1.

  3. Retrieval of Polar Stratospheric Cloud Microphysical Properties from Lidar Measurements: Dependence on Particle Shape Assumptions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reichardt, J.; Reichardt, S.; Yang, P.; McGee, T. J.; Bhartia, P. K. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    A retrieval algorithm has been developed for the microphysical analysis of polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) optical data obtained using lidar instrumentation. The parameterization scheme of the PSC microphysical properties allows for coexistence of up to three different particle types with size-dependent shapes. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method has been used to calculate optical properties of particles with maximum dimensions equal to or less than 2 mu m and with shapes that can be considered more representative of PSCs on the scale of individual crystals than the commonly assumed spheroids. Specifically. these are irregular and hexagonal crystals. Selection of the optical parameters that are input to the inversion algorithm is based on a potential data set such as that gathered by two of the lidars on board the NASA DC-8 during the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment 0 p (SAGE) Ozone Loss Validation experiment (SOLVE) campaign in winter 1999/2000: the Airborne Raman Ozone and Temperature Lidar (AROTEL) and the NASA Langley Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL). The 0 microphysical retrieval algorithm has been applied to study how particle shape assumptions affect the inversion of lidar data measured in leewave PSCs. The model simulations show that under the assumption of spheroidal particle shapes, PSC surface and volume density are systematically smaller than the FDTD-based values by, respectively, approximately 10-30% and approximately 5-23%.

  4. Compact, highly efficient, single-frequency 25W, 2051nm Tm fiber-based MOPA for CO2 trace-gas laser space transmitter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Engin, Doruk; Chuang, Ti; Litvinovitch, Slava; Storm, Mark

    2017-08-01

    Fibertek has developed and demonstrated an ideal high-power; low-risk; low-size, weight, and power (SWaP) 2051 nm laser design meeting the lidar requirements for satellite-based global measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2). The laser design provides a path to space for either a coherent lidar approach being developed by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)1,2 or an Integrated Path Differential Lidar (IPDA) approach developed by Harris Corp using radio frequency (RF) modulation and being flown as part of a NASA Earth Venture Suborbital Mission—NASA's Atmospheric Carbon and Transport - America.3,4 The thulium (Tm) fiber laser amplifies a <500 kHz linewidth distributed feedback (DFB) laser up to 25 W average power in a polarization maintaining (PM) fiber. The design manages and suppresses all deleterious non-linear effects that can cause linewidth broadening or amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and meets all lidar requirements. We believe the core laser components, architecture, and design margins can support a coherent or IPDA lidar 10-year space mission. With follow-on funding Fibertek can adapt an existing space-based Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6), 20 W erbium fiber laser package for this Tm design and enable a near-term space mission with an electrical-to-optical (e-o) efficiency of <20%. A cladding-pumped PM Tm fiber-based amplifier optimized for high efficiency and high-power operation at 2051 nm is presented. The two-stage amplifier has been demonstrated to achieve 25 W average power and <16 dB polarization extinction ratio (PER) out of a single-mode PM fiber using a <500 kHz linewidth JPL DFB laser5-7 and 43 dB gain. The power amplifier's optical conversion efficiency is 53%. An internal efficiency of 58% is calculated after correcting for passive losses. The two-stage amplifier sustains its highly efficient operation for a temperature range of 5-40°C. The absence of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) for the narrow linewidth amplification shows

  5. Compact Ozone Lidar for Atmospheric Ozone and Aerosol Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marcia, Joel; DeYoung, Russell J.

    2007-01-01

    A small compact ozone differential absorption lidar capable of being deployed on a small aircraft or unpiloted atmospheric vehicle (UAV) has been tested. The Ce:LiCAF tunable UV laser is pumped by a quadrupled Nd:YLF laser. Test results on the laser transmitter demonstrated 1.4 W in the IR and 240 mW in the green at 1000 Hz. The receiver consists of three photon-counting channels, which are a far field PMT, a near field UV PMT, and a green PMT. Each channel was tested for their saturation characteristics.

  6. Lidar Measurements of Aerosol and Ozone Distributions During the 1992 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Browell, E. V.; Butler, C. F.; Fenn, M. A.; Grant, W. B.; Carter, A. F.

    1992-01-01

    The LaRC airborne lidar system was operated from the ARC DC-8 aircraft during the 1992 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition (ASEE-2) to investigate the distribution of stratospheric aerosols and O3 across the Arctic vortex from Jan. to Mar. 1992. Monthly flights were made across the Arctic vortex from Anchorage, Alaska, to Stavanger, Norway, and then back to Bangor, Maine, and additional round-trip flights north into the vortex were made each month from either Stavanger or Bangor depending on the location of the vortex that month. The airborne lidar system uses the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique at laser wavelengths of 301.5 and 310.8 nm to measure O3 profiles above the DC-8 over the 12-25 km altitude range. Lidar measurements of aerosol backscatter and depolarization profiles over the 12-30 km altitude range are made simultaneously with the O3 measurements using infrared (IR) and visible (VIS) laser wavelengths of 603 and 1064 nm, respectively. The measurements of Pinatubo aerosols, polar stratospheric clouds, and O3 made with the airborne DIAL system during the AASE-2 expedition and to chemical and dynamical process that contribute to O3 depletion in the wintertime Arctic stratosphere.

  7. Let’s agree on the casing of Lidar

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Deering, Carol; Stoker, Jason M.

    2014-01-01

    Is it lidar, Lidar, LiDAR, LIDAR, LiDar, LiDaR, or liDAR? A comprehensive review of the scientific/technical literature reveals seven different casings of this short form for light detection and ranging. And there could be more.

  8. 2.5 MHz Line-Width High-energy, 2 Micrometer Coherent Wind Lidar Transmitter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Petros, Mulugeta; Yu, Jirong; Trieu, Bo; Bai, Yingxin; Petzar, Paul; Singh, Upendra N.; Reithmaier, Karl

    2007-01-01

    2 micron solid-state lasers are the primary choice for coherent Doppler wind detection. As wind lidars, they are used for wake vortex and clear air turbulence detection providing air transport safety. In addition, 2 micron lasers are one of the candidates for CO2 detection lidars. The rich CO2 absorption line around 2 micron, combined with the long upper state life of time, has made Ho based 2 micron lasers a viable candidate for CO2 sensing DIAL instrument. The design and fabrication of a compact coherent laser radar transmitter for Troposphere wind sensing is under way. This system is hardened for ground as well as airborne applications. As a transmitter for a coherent wind lidar, this laser has stringent spectral line width and beam quality requirements. Although the absolute wavelength does not have to be fixed for wind detection, to maximize return signal, the output wavelength should avoid atmospheric CO2 and H2O absorption lines. The base line laser material is Ho:Tm:LuLF which is an isomorph of Ho:Tm:YLF. LuLF produces 20% more output power than Ho:Tm:YLF. In these materials the Tm absorption cross-section, the Ho emission cross-section, the Tm to Ho energy transfer parameters and the Ho (sup 5) I (sub 7) radiative life time are all identical. However, the improved performance of the LuLF is attributed to the lower thermal population in the (sup 5) I (sub 8) manifold. It also provides higher normal mode to Q-switch conversion than YLF at high pump energy indicating a lower up-conversion. The laser architecture is composed of a seed laser, a ring oscillator, and a double pass amplifier. The seed laser is a single longitudinal mode with a line width of 13 KHz. The 100mJ class oscillator is stretched to 3 meters to accommodate the line-width requirement without compromising the range resolution of the instrument. The amplifier is double passed to produce greater than 300mJ energy.

  9. Hydrologic enforcement of lidar DEMs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Poppenga, Sandra K.; Worstell, Bruce B.; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Brock, John C.; Evans, Gayla A.; Heidemann, H. Karl

    2014-01-01

    Hydrologic-enforcement (hydro-enforcement) of light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) modifies the elevations of artificial impediments (such as road fills or railroad grades) to simulate how man-made drainage structures such as culverts or bridges allow continuous downslope flow. Lidar-derived DEMs contain an extremely high level of topographic detail; thus, hydro-enforced lidar-derived DEMs are essential to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for complex modeling of riverine flow. The USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) is integrating hydro-enforced lidar-derived DEMs (land elevation) and lidar-derived bathymetry (water depth) to enhance storm surge modeling in vulnerable coastal zones.

  10. Systematic Relationships Between Lidar Observables and Sizes And Mineral Composition Of Dust Aerosols

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Van Diedenhoven, Bastiaan; Stangl, Alexander; Perlwitz, Jan; Fridlind, Ann M.; Chowdhary, Jacek; Cairns, Brian

    2015-01-01

    The physical and chemical properties of soil dust aerosol particles fundamentally affect their interaction with climate, including shortwave absorption and radiative forcing, nucleation of cloud droplets and ice crystals, heterogeneous formation of sulfates and nitrates on the surface of dust particles, and atmospheric processing of iron into bioavailable forms that increase the productivity of marine phytoplankton. Lidar measurements, such as extinction-to-backscatter, color and depolarization ratios, are frequently used to distinguish between aerosol types with different physical and chemical properties. The chemical composition of aerosol particles determines their complex refractive index, hence affecting their backscattering properties. Here we present a study on how dust aerosol backscattering and depolarization properties at wavelengths of 355, 532 and 1064 nm are related to size and complex refractive index, which varies with the mineral composition of the dust. Dust aerosols are represented by collections of spheroids with a range of prolate and oblate aspect ratios and their optical properties are obtained using T-matrix calculations. We find simple, systematic relationships between lidar observables and the dust size and complex refractive index that may aid the use of space-based or airborne lidars for direct retrieval of dust properties or for the evaluation of chemical transport models using forward simulated lidar variables. In addition, we present first results on the spatial variation of forward-simulated lidar variables based on a dust model that accounts for the atmospheric cycle of eight different mineral types plus internal mixtures of seven mineral types with iron oxides, which was recently implemented in the NASA GISS Earth System ModelE2.

  11. LiDAR: Providing structure

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vierling, Lee A.; Martinuzzi, Sebastián; Asner, Gregory P.; Stoker, Jason M.; Johnson, Brian R.

    2011-01-01

    Since the days of MacArthur, three-dimensional (3-D) structural information on the environment has fundamentally transformed scientific understanding of ecological phenomena (MacArthur and MacArthur 1961). Early data on ecosystem structure were painstakingly laborious to collect. However, as reviewed and reported in recent volumes of Frontiers(eg Vierling et al. 2008; Asner et al.2011), advances in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) remote-sensing technology provide quantitative and repeatable measurements of 3-D ecosystem structure that enable novel ecological insights at scales ranging from the plot, to the landscape, to the globe. Indeed, annual publication of studies using LiDAR to interpret ecological phenomena increased 17-fold during the past decade, with over 180 new studies appearing in 2010 (ISI Web of Science search conducted on 23 Mar 2011: [{lidar AND ecol*} OR {lidar AND fores*} OR {lidar AND plant*}]).

  12. Advanced 2-micron Solid-state Laser for Wind and CO2 Lidar Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yu, Jirong; Trieu, Bo C.; Petros, Mulugeta; Bai, Yingxin; Petzar, Paul J.; Koch, Grady J.; Singh, Upendra N.; Kavaya, Michael J.

    2006-01-01

    Significant advancements in the 2-micron laser development have been made recently. Solid-state 2-micron laser is a key subsystem for a coherent Doppler lidar that measures the horizontal and vertical wind velocities with high precision and resolution. The same laser, after a few modifications, can also be used in a Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system for measuring atmospheric CO2 concentration profiles. The world record 2-micron laser energy is demonstrated with an oscillator and two amplifiers system. It generates more than one joule per pulse energy with excellent beam quality. Based on the successful demonstration of a fully conductive cooled oscillator by using heat pipe technology, an improved fully conductively cooled 2-micron amplifier was designed, manufactured and integrated. It virtually eliminates the running coolant to increase the overall system efficiency and reliability. In addition to technology development and demonstration, a compact and engineering hardened 2-micron laser is under development. It is capable of producing 250 mJ at 10 Hz by an oscillator and one amplifier. This compact laser is expected to be integrated to a lidar system and take field measurements. The recent achievements push forward the readiness of such a laser system for space lidar applications. This paper will review the developments of the state-of-the-art solid-state 2-micron laser.

  13. The evaluation of a shuttle borne lidar experiment to measure the global distribution of aerosols and their effect on the atmospheric heat budget

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shipley, S. T.; Joseph, J. H.; Trauger, J. T.; Guetter, P. J.; Eloranta, E. W.; Lawler, J. E.; Wiscombe, W. J.; Odell, A. P.; Roesler, F. L.; Weinman, J. A.

    1975-01-01

    A shuttle-borne lidar system is described, which will provide basic data about aerosol distributions for developing climatological models. Topics discussed include: (1) present knowledge of the physical characteristics of desert aerosols and the absorption characteristics of atmospheric gas, (2) radiative heating computations, and (3) general circulation models. The characteristics of a shuttle-borne radar are presented along with some laboratory studies which identify schemes that permit the implementation of a high spectral resolution lidar system.

  14. Demonstration of a diode-laser-based high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) for quantitative profiling of clouds and aerosols.

    PubMed

    Hayman, Matthew; Spuler, Scott

    2017-11-27

    We present a demonstration of a diode-laser-based high spectral resolution lidar. It is capable of performing calibrated retrievals of aerosol and cloud optical properties at a 150 m range resolution with less than 1 minute integration time over an approximate range of 12 km during day and night. This instrument operates at 780 nm, a wavelength that is well established for reliable semiconductor lasers and detectors, and was chosen because it corresponds to the D2 rubidium absorption line. A heated vapor reference cell of isotopic rubidium 87 is used as an effective and reliable aerosol signal blocking filter in the instrument. In principle, the diode-laser-based high spectral resolution lidar can be made cost competitive with elastic backscatter lidar systems, yet delivers a significant improvement in data quality through direct retrieval of quantitative optical properties of clouds and aerosols.

  15. Balloonborne lidar payloads for remote sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepherd, O.; Aurilio, G.; Hurd, A. G.; Rappaport, S. A.; Reidy, W. P.; Rieder, R. J.; Bedo, D. E.; Swirbalus, R. A.

    1994-02-01

    A series of lidar experiments has been conducted using the Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment payload (ABLE). These experiments included the measurement of atmospheric Rayleigh and Mie backscatter from near space (approximately 30 km) and Raman backscatter measurements of atmospheric constituents as a function of altitude. The ABLE payload consisted of a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser transmitter, a 50 cm receiver telescope, and filtered photodetectors in various focal plane configurations. The payload for lidar pointing, thermal control, data handling, and remote control of the lidar system. Comparison of ABLE performance with that of a space lidar shows significant performance advantages and cost effectiveness for balloonborne lidar systems.

  16. FLASH LIDAR Based Relative Navigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brazzel, Jack; Clark, Fred; Milenkovic, Zoran

    2014-01-01

    Relative navigation remains the most challenging part of spacecraft rendezvous and docking. In recent years, flash LIDARs, have been increasingly selected as the go-to sensors for proximity operations and docking. Flash LIDARS are generally lighter and require less power that scanning Lidars. Flash LIDARs do not have moving parts, and they are capable of tracking multiple targets as well as generating a 3D map of a given target. However, there are some significant drawbacks of Flash Lidars that must be resolved if their use is to be of long-term significance. Overcoming the challenges of Flash LIDARs for navigation-namely, low technology readiness level, lack of historical performance data, target identification, existence of false positives, and performance of vision processing algorithms as intermediaries between the raw sensor data and the Kalman filter-requires a world-class testing facility, such as the Lockheed Martin Space Operations Simulation Center (SOSC). Ground-based testing is a critical step for maturing the next-generation flash LIDAR-based spacecraft relative navigation. This paper will focus on the tests of an integrated relative navigation system conducted at the SOSC in January 2014. The intent of the tests was to characterize and then improve the performance of relative navigation, while addressing many of the flash LIDAR challenges mentioned above. A section on navigation performance and future recommendation completes the discussion.

  17. A Broad Bank Lidar for Precise Atmospheric CO2 Column Absorption Measurement from Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Georgieva, E. M.; Heaps, W. S.; Huang, W.

    2010-01-01

    Accurate global measurement of carbon dioxide column with the aim of discovering and quantifying unknown sources and sinks has been a high priority for the last decade. In order to uncover the "missing sink" that is responsible for the large discrepancies in the budget the critical precision for a measurement from space needs to be on the order of 1 ppm. To better understand the CO2 budget and to evaluate its impact on global warming the National Research Council (NRC) in its recent decadal survey report (NACP) to NASA recommended a laser based total CO2 mapping mission in the near future. That's the goal of Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission - to significantly enhance the understanding of the role of CO2 in the global carbon cycle. Our current goal is to develop an ultra precise, inexpensive new lidar system for column measurements of CO2 changes in the lower atmosphere that uses a Fabry-Perot interferometer based system as the detector portion of the instrument and replaces the narrow band laser commonly used in lidars with a high power broadband source. This approach reduces the number of individual lasers used in the system and considerably reduces the risk of failure. It also tremendously reduces the requirement for wavelength stability in the source putting this responsibility instead on the Fabry- Perot subsystem.

  18. Airborne lidar mapping of vertical ozone distributions in support of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Uthe, Edward E.; Nielsen, Norman B.; Livingston, John M.

    1992-01-01

    The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments mandated attainment of the ozone standard established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Improved photochemical models validated by experimental data are needed to develop strategies for reducing near surface ozone concentrations downwind of urban and industrial centers. For more than 10 years, lidar has been used on large aircraft to provide unique information on ozone distributions in the atmosphere. However, compact airborne lidar systems are needed for operation on small aircraft of the type typically used on regional air quality investigations to collect data with which to develop and validate air quality models. Data presented in this paper will consist of a comparison between airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) and airborne in-situ ozone measurements. Also discussed are future plans to improve the airborne ultraviolet-DIAL for ozone and other gas observations and addition of a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) emission spectrometer to investigate the effects of other gas species on vertical ozone distribution.

  19. Development of a Portable, Ground-Based Ozone Lidar Instrument for Tropospheric Ozone Research and Educational Training

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chyba, Thomas; Zenker, Thomas

    1998-01-01

    The objective of this project is to develop a portable, eye-safe, ground-based ozone lidar instrument specialized for ozone differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements in the troposphere. This prototype instrument is intended to operate at remote field sites and to serve as the basic unit for monitoring projects requiring multi-instrument networks, such as that discussed in the science plan for the Global Tropospheric Ozone Project (GTOP). This instrument will be based at HU for student training in lidar technology as well as atmospheric ozone data analysis and interpretation. It will be also available for off-site measurement campaigns and will serve as a test bed for further instrument development. Later development beyond this grant to extend the scientific usefulness of the instrument may include incorporation of an aerosol channel and upgrading the laser to make stratospheric ozone measurements. Undergraduate and graduate students have been and will be active participants in this research effort.

  20. Lidar configurations for wind turbine control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirzaei, Mahmood; Mann, Jakob

    2016-09-01

    Lidar sensors have proved to be very beneficial in the wind energy industry. They can be used for yaw correction, feed-forward pitch control and load verification. However, the current lidars are expensive. One way to reduce the price is to use lidars with few measurement points. Finding the best configuration of an inexpensive lidar in terms of number of measurement points, the measurement distance and the opening angle is the subject of this study. In order to solve the problem, a lidar model is developed and used to measure wind speed in a turbulence box. The effective wind speed measured by the lidar is compared against the effective wind speed on a wind turbine rotor both theoretically and through simulations. The study provides some results to choose the best configuration of the lidar with few measurement points.

  1. A Backscatter-Lidar Forward-Operator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geisinger, Armin; Behrendt, Andreas; Wulfmeyer, Volker; Vogel, Bernhard; Mattis, Ina; Flentje, Harald; Förstner, Jochen; Potthast, Roland

    2015-04-01

    We have developed a forward-operator which is capable of calculating virtual lidar profiles from atmospheric state simulations. The operator allows us to compare lidar measurements and model simulations based on the same measurement parameter: the lidar backscatter profile. This method simplifies qualitative comparisons and also makes quantitative comparisons possible, including statistical error quantification. Implemented into an aerosol-capable model system, the operator will act as a component to assimilate backscatter-lidar measurements. As many weather services maintain already networks of backscatter-lidars, such data are acquired already in an operational manner. To estimate and quantify errors due to missing or uncertain aerosol information, we started sensitivity studies about several scattering parameters such as the aerosol size and both the real and imaginary part of the complex index of refraction. Furthermore, quantitative and statistical comparisons between measurements and virtual measurements are shown in this study, i.e. applying the backscatter-lidar forward-operator on model output.

  2. Proposed standardized definitions for vertical resolution and uncertainty in the NDACC lidar ozone and temperature algorithms - Part 2: Ozone DIAL uncertainty budget

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leblanc, Thierry; Sica, Robert J.; van Gijsel, Joanna A. E.; Godin-Beekmann, Sophie; Haefele, Alexander; Trickl, Thomas; Payen, Guillaume; Liberti, Gianluigi

    2016-08-01

    A standardized approach for the definition, propagation, and reporting of uncertainty in the ozone differential absorption lidar data products contributing to the Network for the Detection for Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) database is proposed. One essential aspect of the proposed approach is the propagation in parallel of all independent uncertainty components through the data processing chain before they are combined together to form the ozone combined standard uncertainty. The independent uncertainty components contributing to the overall budget include random noise associated with signal detection, uncertainty due to saturation correction, background noise extraction, the absorption cross sections of O3, NO2, SO2, and O2, the molecular extinction cross sections, and the number densities of the air, NO2, and SO2. The expression of the individual uncertainty components and their step-by-step propagation through the ozone differential absorption lidar (DIAL) processing chain are thoroughly estimated. All sources of uncertainty except detection noise imply correlated terms in the vertical dimension, which requires knowledge of the covariance matrix when the lidar signal is vertically filtered. In addition, the covariance terms must be taken into account if the same detection hardware is shared by the lidar receiver channels at the absorbed and non-absorbed wavelengths. The ozone uncertainty budget is presented as much as possible in a generic form (i.e., as a function of instrument performance and wavelength) so that all NDACC ozone DIAL investigators across the network can estimate, for their own instrument and in a straightforward manner, the expected impact of each reviewed uncertainty component. In addition, two actual examples of full uncertainty budget are provided, using nighttime measurements from the tropospheric ozone DIAL located at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Table Mountain Facility, California, and nighttime measurements from the JPL

  3. A Compact Ti:Sapphire Laser With its Third Harmonic Generation (THG) for an Airborne Ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Transmitter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Songsheng; Storm, Mark E.; Marsh, Waverly D.; Petway, Larry B.; Edwards, William C.; Barnes, James C.

    2000-01-01

    A compact and high-pulse-energy Ti:Sapphire laser with its Third Harmonic Generation (THG) has been developed for an airborne ozone differential absorption lidar (DIAL) to study the distributions and concentrations of the ozone throughout the troposphere. The Ti:Sapphire laser, pumped by a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser and seeded by a single mode diode laser, is operated either at 867 nm or at 900 nm with a pulse repetition frequency of 20 Hz. High energy laser pulses (more than 110 mJ/pulse) at 867 nm or 900 nm with a desired beam quality have been achieved and utilized to generate its third harmonic at 289nm or 300nm, which are on-line and off-line wavelengths of an airborne ozone DIAL. After being experimentally compared with Beta-Barium Borate (beta - BaB2O4 or BBO) nonlinear crystals, two Lithium Triborate (LBO) crystals (5 x 5 x 20 cu mm) are selected for the Third Harmonic Generation (THG). In this paper, we report the Ti:Sapphire laser at 900 nm and its third harmonic at 300 nm. The desired high ultraviolet (UV) output pulse energy is more than 30 mJ at 300 nm and the energy conversion efficiency from 900 nm to 300 nm is 30%.

  4. Evaluation of Daytime Measurements of Aerosols and Water Vapor made by an Operational Raman Lidar over the Southern Great Plains

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferrare, Richard; Turner, David; Clayton, Marian; Schmid, Beat; Covert, David; Elleman, Robert; Orgren, John; Andrews, Elisabeth; Goldsmith, John E. M.; Jonsson, Hafidi

    2006-01-01

    Raman lidar water vapor and aerosol extinction profiles acquired during the daytime over the Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in northern Oklahoma (36.606 N, 97.50 W, 315 m) are evaluated using profiles measured by in situ and remote sensing instruments deployed during the May 2003 Aerosol Intensive Operations Period (IOP). The automated algorithms used to derive these profiles from the Raman lidar data were first modified to reduce the adverse effects associated with a general loss of sensitivity of the Raman lidar since early 2002. The Raman lidar water vapor measurements, which are calibrated to match precipitable water vapor (PWV) derived from coincident microwave radiometer (MWR) measurements were, on average, 5-10% (0.3-0.6 g/m(exp 3) higher than the other measurements. Some of this difference is due to out-of-date line parameters that were subsequently updated in the MWR PWV retrievals. The Raman lidar aerosol extinction measurements were, on average, about 0.03 km(exp -1) higher than aerosol measurements derived from airborne Sun photometer measurements of aerosol optical thickness and in situ measurements of aerosol scattering and absorption. This bias, which was about 50% of the mean aerosol extinction measured during this IOP, decreased to about 10% when aerosol extinction comparisons were restricted to aerosol extinction values larger than 0.15 km(exp -1). The lidar measurements of the aerosol extinction/backscatter ratio and airborne Sun photometer measurements of the aerosol optical thickness were used along with in situ measurements of the aerosol size distribution to retrieve estimates of the aerosol single scattering albedo (omega(sub o)) and the effective complex refractive index. Retrieved values of omega(sub o) ranged from (0.91-0.98) and were in generally good agreement with omega(sub o) derived from airborne in situ measurements of scattering and absorption. Elevated aerosol

  5. Improving lidar turbulence estimates for wind energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newman, J. F.; Clifton, A.; Churchfield, M. J.; Klein, P.

    2016-09-01

    Remote sensing devices (e.g., lidars) are quickly becoming a cost-effective and reliable alternative to meteorological towers for wind energy applications. Although lidars can measure mean wind speeds accurately, these devices measure different values of turbulence intensity (TI) than an instrument on a tower. In response to these issues, a lidar TI error reduction model was recently developed for commercially available lidars. The TI error model first applies physics-based corrections to the lidar measurements, then uses machine-learning techniques to further reduce errors in lidar TI estimates. The model was tested at two sites in the Southern Plains where vertically profiling lidars were collocated with meteorological towers. Results indicate that the model works well under stable conditions but cannot fully mitigate the effects of variance contamination under unstable conditions. To understand how variance contamination affects lidar TI estimates, a new set of equations was derived in previous work to characterize the actual variance measured by a lidar. Terms in these equations were quantified using a lidar simulator and modeled wind field, and the new equations were then implemented into the TI error model.

  6. Ground and Airborne Methane Measurements using Optical Parametric Amplifiers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Riris, Haris; Numata, Kenji; Li, Steve; Wu, Stewart; Kawa, Stephan R.; Abshire, James; Dawsey, Martha; Ramanathan, Anand

    2012-01-01

    We report on an initial airborne demonstration of atmospheric methane column measurements at 1.65 micrometers using a widely tunable, seeded optical parametric amplifier (OPA) lidar and a photon counting detector. Methane is an important greenhouse gas and accurate knowledge of its sources and sinks is needed for climate modeling. Our lidar system uses 20 pulses at increasing wavelengths and integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) to map a methane line at 1650.9 nanometers. The wavelengths are generated by using a Nd:YAG pump laser at 1064.5 nanometers and distributed feedback diode laser at 1650.9 nanometers and a periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal. The pulse width was 3 nanoseconds and the pulse repetition rate was 6.28 KHz. The outgoing energy was approximately 13 microJoules/pulse. A commercial 20 nanometer diameter fiber-coupled telescope with a photon counting detector operated in analog mode with a 0.8 nanometer bandpass filter was used as the lidar receiver. The lidar system was integrated on NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory, based at Dryden Airborne operations Facility (DAOF) in Palmdale CA. Three flights were performed in the central valley of California. Each flight lasted about 2.5 hours and it consisted of several flight segments at constant altitudes at approximately 3, 4.5, 6, 7.6, 9.1, 10.6 km (l0, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 kft). An in-situ cavity ring down spectrometer made by Picarro Inc. was flown along with the lidar instrument provided us with the "truth" i.e. the local CH4, CO2 and H2O concentrations at the constant flight altitude segments. Using the aircraft's altitude, GPS, and meteorological data we calculated the theoretical differential optical depth of the methane absorption at increasing altitudes. Our results showed good agreement between the experimentally derived optical depth measurements from the lidar instrument and theoretical calculations as the flight altitude was increased from 3 to 10.6 kilometers, assuming a

  7. Turbulent Humidity Fluctuations in the Convective Boundary Layer: Case Studies Using Water Vapour Differential Absorption Lidar Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muppa, Shravan Kumar; Behrendt, Andreas; Späth, Florian; Wulfmeyer, Volker; Metzendorf, Simon; Riede, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    Turbulent humidity fluctuations in the convective boundary layer (CBL) under clear-sky conditions were investigated by deriving moments up to fourth-order. High-resolution humidity measurements were collected with a water vapour differential absorption lidar system during the HD(CP)}2 Observational Prototype Experiment (HOPE). Two cases, both representing a well-developed CBL around local noon, are discussed. While the first case (from the intensive observation period (IOP) 5 on 20 April 2013) compares well with what is considered typical CBL behaviour, the second case (from IOP 6 on 24 April 2013) shows a number of non-typical characteristics. Both cases show similar capping inversions and wind shear across the CBL top. However, a major difference between both cases is the advection of a humid layer above the CBL top during IOP 6. While the variance profile of IOP 5 shows a maximum at the interfacial layer, two variance peaks are observed near the CBL top for IOP 6. A marked difference can also be seen in the third-order moment and skewness profiles: while both are negative (positive) below (above) the CBL top for IOP 5, the structure is more complex for IOP 6. Kurtosis is about three for IOP 5, whereas for IOP 6, the distribution is slightly platykurtic. We believe that the entrainment of an elevated moist layer into the CBL is responsible for the unusual findings for IOP 6, which suggests that it is important to consider the structure of residual humidity layers entrained into the CBL.

  8. Tropospheric Ozone Source Attribution in Southern California during Summer 2014 Based on Lidar Measurements and Model Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Granados Munoz, Maria Jose; Johnson, Matthew S.; Leblanc, Thierry

    2016-01-01

    In the past decades, significant efforts have been made to increase tropospheric ozone long-term monitoring. A large number of ground-based, airborne and space-borne instruments are currently providing valuable data to contribute to better understand tropospheric ozone budget and variability. Nonetheless, most of these instruments provide in-situ surface and column-integrated data, whereas vertically resolved measurements are still scarce. Besides ozonesondes and aircraft, lidar measurements have proven to be valuable tropospheric ozone profilers. Using the measurements from the tropospheric ozone differential absorption lidar (DIAL) located at the JPL Table Mountain Facility, California, and the GEOS-Chem and GEOS-5 model outputs, the impact of the North American monsoon on tropospheric ozone during summer 2014 is investigated. The influence of the Monsoon lightning-induced NOx will be evaluated against other sources (e.g. local anthropogenic emissions and the stratosphere) using also complementary data such as backward-trajectories analysis, coincident water vapor lidar measurements, and surface ozone in-situ measurements.

  9. Spaceborne lidar for cloud monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Werner, Christian; Krichbaumer, W.; Matvienko, Gennadii G.

    1994-12-01

    Results of laser cloud top measurements taken from space in 1982 (called PANTHER) are presented. Three sequences of land, water, and cloud data are selected. A comparison with airborne lidar data shows similarities. Using the single scattering lidar equation for these spaceborne lidar measurements one can misinterpret the data if one doesn't correct for multiple scattering.

  10. Phoenix Lidar Operation Animation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2008-01-01

    [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on image for animation

    This is an animation of the Canadian-built meteorological station's lidar, which was successfully activated on Sol 2. The animation shows how the lidar is activated by first opening its dust cover, then emitting rapid pulses of light (resembling a brilliant green laser) into the Martian atmosphere. Some of the light then bounces off particles in the atmosphere, and is reflected back down to the lidar's telescope. This allows the lidar to detect dust, clouds and fog.

    The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

  11. YAG aerosol lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sullivan, R.

    1988-01-01

    The Global Atmospheric Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) Mission, using the NASA DC-8 aircraft platform, is designed to provide the magnitude and statistical distribution of atmospheric backscatter cross section at lidar operating wavelengths. This is a fundamental parameter required for the Doppler lidar proposed to be used on a spacecraft platform for global wind field measurements. The prime measurements will be made by a CO2 lidar instrument in the 9 to 10 micron range. These measurements will be complemented with the Goddard YAG Aerosol Lidar (YAL) data in two wavelengths, 0.532 and 1.06 micron, in the visible and near-infrared. The YAL, is being designed to utilize as much existing hardware, as feasible, to minimize cost and reduce implementation time. The laser, energy monitor, telescope and detector package will be mounted on an optical breadboard. The optical breadboard is mounted through isolation mounts between two low boy racks. The detector package will utilize a photomultiplier tube for the 0.532 micron channel and a silicon avalanche photo detector (APD) for the 1.06 micron channel.

  12. Solid-State 2-Micron Laser Transmitter Advancement for Wind and Carbon Dioxide Measurements From Ground, Airborne, and Space-Based Lidar Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Kavaya, Michael J.; Koch, Grady; Yu, Jirong; Ismail, Syed

    2008-01-01

    NASA Langley Research Center has been developing 2-micron lidar technologies over a decade for wind measurements, utilizing coherent Doppler wind lidar technique and carbon dioxide measurements, utilizing Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique. Significant advancements have been made towards developing state-of-the-art technologies towards laser transmitters, detectors, and receiver systems. These efforts have led to the development of solid-state lasers with high pulse energy, tunablility, wavelength-stability, and double-pulsed operation. This paper will present a review of these technological developments along with examples of high resolution wind and high precision CO2 DIAL measurements in the atmosphere. Plans for the development of compact high power lasers for applications in airborne and future space platforms for wind and regional to global scale measurement of atmospheric CO2 will also be discussed.

  13. Adaptive Data Processing Technique for Lidar-Assisted Control to Bridge the Gap between Lidar Systems and Wind Turbines: Preprint

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schlipf, David; Raach, Steffen; Haizmann, Florian

    2015-12-14

    This paper presents first steps toward an adaptive lidar data processing technique crucial for lidar-assisted control in wind turbines. The prediction time and the quality of the wind preview from lidar measurements depend on several factors and are not constant. If the data processing is not continually adjusted, the benefit of lidar-assisted control cannot be fully exploited, or can even result in harmful control action. An online analysis of the lidar and turbine data are necessary to continually reassess the prediction time and lidar data quality. In this work, a structured process to develop an analysis tool for the predictionmore » time and a new hardware setup for lidar-assisted control are presented. The tool consists of an online estimation of the rotor effective wind speed from lidar and turbine data and the implementation of an online cross correlation to determine the time shift between both signals. Further, initial results from an ongoing campaign in which this system was employed for providing lidar preview for feed-forward pitch control are presented.« less

  14. Ground-based eye-safe networkable micro-pulse differential absorption and high spectral resolution lidar for water vapor and aerosol profiling in the lower troposphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Repasky, K. S.; Spuler, S.; Hayman, M. M.; Bunn, C. E.

    2017-12-01

    Atmospheric water vapor is a greenhouse gas that is known to be a significant driver of weather and climate. Several National Research Council (NRC) reports have highlighted the need for improved water vapor measurements that can capture its spatial and temporal variability as a means to improve weather predictions. Researchers at Montana State University (MSU) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) have developed an eye-safe diode laser based micro-pulse differential absorption lidar (MP-DIAL) for water vapor profiling in the lower troposphere. The MP-DIAL is capable of long term unattended operation and is capable of monitoring water vapor in the lower troposphere in most weather conditions. Two MP-DIAL instruments are currently operational and have been deployed at the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE), the Plains elevated Convection at Night (PECAN) experiment, the Perdigão experiment, and the Land Atmosphere Feedback Experiment (LAFE). For each of these field experiments, the MP-DIAL was run unattended and provided near-continuous water vapor profiles, including periods of bright daytime clouds, from 300 m above the ground level to 4 km (or the cloud base) with 150 m vertical resolution and 5 minute temporal resolution. Three additional MP-DIAL instruments are currently under construction and will result in a network of five eye-safe MP-DIAL instruments for ground based weather and climate research experiments. Taking advantage of the broad spectral coverage and modularity or the diode based architecture, a high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) measurement capabilities was added to the second MP-DIAL instrument. The HSRL capabilities will be operational during the deployment at the LAFE field experiment. The instrument architecture will be presented along with examples of data collected during recent field experiments.

  15. A nonlinear merging method of analog and photon signals for CO2 detection in lower altitudes using differential absorption lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Zhong; Zhang, Teng; Han, Ge; Li, Dongcang; Ma, Xin; Gong, Wei

    2017-04-01

    The current acquisition system of a lidar detects return signals in two modes (i.e., analog and photon counting); resulting in the lower (below 1500 m) and upper (higher than 1100 m) atmospheric parameters need analog and photon counting signal to retrieve, respectively. Hence, a lidar cannot obtain a continuous column of the concentrations of atmospheric components. For carbon cycle studies, the range-resolved concentration of atmospheric CO2 in the lower troposphere (below 1500 m) is one of the most significant parameters that should be determined. This study proposes a novel gluing method that merges the CO2 signal detected by ground-based DIAL in the lower troposphere. Through simulation experiments, the best uniform approximation polynomial theorem is utilized to determine the transformation coefficient to correlate signals from the different modes perfectly. The experimental results (both simulation experiments and actual measurement of signals) show that the proposed method is suitable and feasible for merging data in the region below 1500 m. Hence, the photon-counting signals whose SNRs are higher than those of the analog signals can be used to retrieve atmospheric parameters at an increased near range, facilitating atmospheric soundings using ground-based lidar in various fields.

  16. Improving Lidar Turbulence Estimates for Wind Energy

    DOE PAGES

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Clifton, Andrew; Churchfield, Matthew J.; ...

    2016-10-03

    Remote sensing devices (e.g., lidars) are quickly becoming a cost-effective and reliable alternative to meteorological towers for wind energy applications. Although lidars can measure mean wind speeds accurately, these devices measure different values of turbulence intensity (TI) than an instrument on a tower. In response to these issues, a lidar TI error reduction model was recently developed for commercially available lidars. The TI error model first applies physics-based corrections to the lidar measurements, then uses machine-learning techniques to further reduce errors in lidar TI estimates. The model was tested at two sites in the Southern Plains where vertically profiling lidarsmore » were collocated with meteorological towers. Results indicate that the model works well under stable conditions but cannot fully mitigate the effects of variance contamination under unstable conditions. To understand how variance contamination affects lidar TI estimates, a new set of equations was derived in previous work to characterize the actual variance measured by a lidar. Terms in these equations were quantified using a lidar simulator and modeled wind field, and the new equations were then implemented into the TI error model.« less

  17. Raman water vapor lidar calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Landulfo, E.; Da Costa, R. F.; Torres, A. S.; Lopes, F. J. S.; Whiteman, D. N.; Venable, D. D.

    2009-09-01

    We show here new results of a Raman LIDAR calibration methodology effort putting emphasis in the assessment of the cross-section ratio between water vapor and nitrogen by the use of a calibrated NIST traceable tungsten lamp. Therein we give a step by step procedure of how to employ such equipment by means of a mapping/scanning procedure over the receiving optics of a water vapor Raman LIDAR. This methodology has been independently used at Howard University Raman LIDAR and at IPEN Raman LIDAR what strongly supports its reproducibility and points towards an independently calibration methodology to be carried on within an experiment routine.

  18. Charactering lidar optical subsystem using four quadrants method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Xiaomin; Liu, Dong; Xu, Jiwei; Wang, Zhenzhu; Wang, Bangxin; Wu, Decheng; Zhong, Zhiqing; Xie, Chenbo; Wang, Yingjian

    2018-02-01

    Lidar is a kind of active optical remote sensing instruments , can be applied to sound atmosphere with a high spatial and temporal resolution. Many parameter of atmosphere can be get by using different inverse algorithm with lidar backscatter signal. The basic setup of a lidar consist of a transmitter and a receiver. To make sure the quality of lidar signal data, the lidar must be calibrated before being used to measure the atmospheric variables. It is really significant to character and analyze lidar optical subsystem because a well equiped lidar optical subsystem contributes to high quality lidar signal data. we pay close attention to telecover test to character and analyze lidar optical subsystem.The telecover test is called four quadrants method consisting in dividing the telescope aperture in four quarants. when a lidar is well configured with lidar optical subsystem, the normalized signal from four qudrants will agree with each other on some level. Testing our WARL-II lidar by four quadrants method ,we find the signals of the four basically consistent with each other both in near range and in far range. But in detail, the signals in near range have some slight distinctions resulting from overlap function, some signals distinctions are induced by atmospheric instability.

  19. The design, development, and test of balloonborne and groundbased lidar systems. Volume 1: Balloonborne coherent CO2 lidar system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepherd, O.; Aurilio, G.; Bucknam, R. D.; Hurd, A. G.; Rappaport, S. A.

    1991-06-01

    This is Volume 1 of a three volume final report on the design, development, and test of balloonborne and groundbased lidar systems. Volume 2 describes the flight test of Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment, ABLE 2, which successfully made atmospheric density backscatter measurements during a flight over White Sands Missile Range. Volume 3 describes groundbased lidar development and measurements, including the design of a telescope dome lidar installation, the design of a transportable lidar shed for remote field sites, and field measurements of atmospheric and cloud backscatter from Ascension Island during SABLE 89 and Terciera, Azores during GABLE 90. In this volume, Volume 1, the design and fabrication of a balloonborne CO2 coherent lidar payload are described. The purpose of this payload is to measure, from altitudes greater than 20 km, the 10.6 micrometers backscatter from atmospheric aerosols as a function of altitude. Minor modifications to the lidar would provide for aerosol velocity measurements to be made. The lidar and payload system design was completed, and major components were fabricated and assembled. These tasks have been successfully completed, and recommendations for further lidar measurements and data analysis have been made.

  20. Development of the Wuhan lidar system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Zhilin; Liu, Yiping; Hu, Xiong; Zeng, Xizhi

    1998-08-01

    This paper reports new progress of the Wuhan lidar system. At the present time, our lidar works both at nighttime, to measure the sodium layer in menopause region, and at daytime to measure the aerosol in lower atmosphere region. The daytime working lidar system is equipped with a Faraday Anomalous Dispersion Optical Filter (FADOF), working at the Na resonance line (589 nm) and having an ultra-narrow bandwidth of 2 GHz. The daytime system uses this FADOF to obtain the lidar signal from an altitude of 20 km in our primary experiment. We will also report a comparison of the rms velocity measured by MF radar and Na lidar. A 90% confidence in rms velocity has been achieved.

  1. ATHLI16: the ATHens Lidar Intercomparison campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amodeo, Aldo; D'Amico, Giuseppe; Giunta, Aldo; Papagiannopoulos, Nikolaos; Papayannis, Alex; Argyrouli, Athina; Mylonaki, Maria; Tsaknakis, Georgios; Kokkalis, Panos; Soupiona, Ourania; Tzanis, Chris

    2018-04-01

    The results of the ATHLI16 (ATHens Lidar Intercomparison) campaign, held in Athens from 26/09 to 07/10 2016 are presented. The campaign was performed within the Lidar Calibration Centre activities (EU H2020 ACTRIS-2 project) to assess the performance of the EOLE lidar system (NTUA, Athens, Greece), operating within EARLINET, by comparing against the EARLINET reference lidar system MUSA (CNR-IMAA, Potenza, Italy). For both lidars only products retrieved by the EARLINET Single Calculus Chain have been compared.

  2. Lidar Wavelength Considerations and Radiometric Performance Analysis for Coastal Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parrish, C. E.; Osiri, R.

    2011-12-01

    Until recently, the vast majority of commercial, topographic lidar systems operating in North America used 1064 nm lasers. However, systems employing erbium-doped fiber lasers operating at 1550 nm are becoming increasingly prevalent. An advantage of this wavelength is enhanced eye safety, as greater water absorption in the ocular components at wavelengths above ~1400 nm prevents radiation from reaching the retina. However, for related reasons, 1550 nm lidar systems may be subject to a greater decrease in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) when the ground surface is wet. When operating near the upper limits of the system's operational altitude range-as is often done in order to maximize acquisition efficiency and minimize costs-this reduced SNR can lead to drop-outs and data gaps. The U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS), a program office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), uses lidar for coastal mapping applications. One of the primary goals is to extract tide-datum based shoreline, which is used in updating nautical charts, defining legal boundaries, and in a variety of coastal science and geomorphology studies. Mapping a tidally-referenced shoreline from topographic lidar data typically involves acquiring the data over exposed areas of the intertidal zone at low tide. Even when not submerged, these areas are frequently wet from the receding tide, wave runup, etc. If not compensated for through appropriate flight planning, the additional decrease in SNR with 1550 nm systems, due to the surface being wet, can lead to sparse, noisy data or even data voids, affecting the ability to extract a tidally-referenced shoreline. This study focuses on a theoretical and empirical investigation of 1550 nm lidar systems for coastal mapping. Lidar data were acquired over Assateague Island, Maryland with a new, dual Riegl LMS-Q680i system at a variety of flying heights. Additionally, reflectance spectra were acquired with a field spectrometer for various East

  3. Polarization lidar for atmospheric monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Qiaojun; Wu, Chengxuan; Yuk Sun Cheng, Andrew; Wang, Zhangjun; Meng, Xiangqian; Chen, Chao; Li, Xianxin; Liu, Xingtao; Zhang, Hao; Zong, Fangyi

    2018-04-01

    Aerosol plays an important role in global climate and weather changes. Polarization lidar captures parallel and perpendicular signals from atmosphere to research aerosols. The lidar system we used has three emission wavelengths and could obtain the atmospheric aerosol extinction coefficient, backscattering coefficient and depolarization ratio. In this paper, the design of the lidar is described. The methods of data acquisition and inversion are given. Some recent results are presented.

  4. Implementing a wind measurement Doppler Lidar based on a molecular iodine filter to monitor the atmospheric wind field over Beijing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Li-fang; Yang, Guo-tao; Wang, Ji-hong; Yue, Chuan; Chen, Lin-xiang

    2017-02-01

    A wind measurement Doppler Lidar system was developed, in which injection seeded laser was used to generate narrow linewidth laser pulse. Frequency stabilization was achieved through absorption of iodine molecules. Commands that control the instrumental system were based on the PID algorithm and coded using VB language. The frequency of the seed laser was locked to iodine molecular absorption line 1109 which is close to the upper edge of the absorption range,with long-time (>4 h) frequency-locking accuracy being ≤0.5 MHz and long-time frequency stability being 3.55×10-9. Design the continuous light velocity measuring system, which concluded the cure about doppler frequency shift and actual speed of chopped wave plate, the velocity error is less than 0.4 m/s. The experiment showed that the stabilized frequency of the seed laser was different from the transmission frequency of the Lidar. And such frequency deviation is known as Chirp of the laser pulse. The real-time measured frequency difference of the continuous and pulsed lights was about 10 MHz, long-time stability deviation was around 5 MHz. When the temporal and spatial resolutions were respectively set to 100 s and 96 m, the wind velocity measurement error of the horizontal wind field at the attitude of 15-35 km was within ±5 m/s, the results showed that the wind measurement Doppler Lidar implemented in Yanqing, Beijing was capable of continuously detecting in the middle and low atmospheric wind field at nighttime. With further development of this technique, system measurement error could be lowered, and long-run routine observations are promising.

  5. Lidar Measurements for Desert Dust Characterization: An Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mona, L.; Liu, Z.; Mueller, D.; Omar, A.; Papayannis, A.; Pappalardo, G.; Sugimoto, N.; Vaughan, M.

    2012-01-01

    We provide an overview of light detection and ranging (lidar) capability for describing and characterizing desert dust. This paper summarizes lidar techniques, observations, and fallouts of desert dust lidar measurements. The main objective is to provide the scientific community, including non-practitioners of lidar observations with a reference paper on dust lidar measurements. In particular, it will fill the current gap of communication between research-oriented lidar community and potential desert dust data users, such as air quality monitoring agencies and aviation advisory centers. The current capability of the different lidar techniques for the characterization of aerosol in general and desert dust in particular is presented. Technical aspects and required assumptions of these techniques are discussed, providing readers with the pros and cons of each technique. Information about desert dust collected up to date using lidar techniques is reviewed. Lidar techniques for aerosol characterization have a maturity level appropriate for addressing air quality and transportation issues, as demonstrated by some first results reported in this paper

  6. Lidar measurements at Lauder, NZ

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McGee, Thomas J.; Gross, Michael; Singh, Upendra; Kimvilakani, Patrick

    1995-01-01

    In March of 1994, the GSFC Stratospheric Ozone Lidar was deployed to the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC) site at Lauder, NZ. This was in conjunction with a series of NASA ER-2 flights from Christchurch, NZ south to the Antarctic Circle. These flights were organized to study the chemistry of the stratosphere before, during and after the formation of the well-known 'ozone hole'. Lidar measurements were made at four different time periods corresponding to the times of the ER-2 flights. Lauder is situated nearly along the flight path as the aircraft flew south and so the lidar measurements provide a checkpoint for the ozone, aerosol and temperature instruments onboard the aircraft. Whenever the weather permitted, lidar measurements were made as near to dawn, prior to the flight, and as near to sunset, after the flight. This provided data as close to the aircraft transit time as possible. More than 70 individual lidar measurements were made, each consisting of a vertical profile of ozone, temperature, and aerosol. These were made over three different seasons and show seasonal variation. Of particular interest in the lidar data base is the wintertime stratospheric - mesospheric temperature profiles, which show large variations at the stratopause and also some significant wave activity.

  7. Development and Testing of a Scanning Differential Absorption Lidar For Carbon Sequestration Site Monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soukup, B.; Johnson, W.; Repasky, K. S.; Carlsten, J. L.

    2013-12-01

    A scanning differential absorption lidar (DIAL) instrument for carbon sequestration site monitoring is under development and testing at Montana State University. The laser transmitter uses two tunable discrete mode laser diodes (DMLD) operating in the continuous wave (cw) mode with one locked to the on-line absorption wavelength at 1571.4067 nm and the second operating at the off-line wavelength at 1571.2585 nm. Two in-line fiber optic switches are used to switch between on-line and off-line operation. After the fiber optic switches, an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is used to generate a pulse train used to injection seed an erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) to produce eye-safe laser pulses with maximum pulse energies of 66 J and a pulse repetition frequency of 15 kHz. The DIAL receiver uses a 28 cm diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to collect that backscattered light, which is then monitored using a fiber coupled photo-multiplier tube (PMT) module operating in the photon counting mode. The PMT has a 3% quantum efficiency, a dark count rate of 90 kHz, and a maximum count rate of 1 MHz. Recently, a fiber coupled avalanche photodiode (APD) operating in the geiger mode has been incorporated into the DIAL receiver. The APD has a quantum efficiency of 10%, a dark count rate of 10 kHz, and a maximum count rate of 1 MHz and provides a much larger dynamic range than the PMT. Both the PMT and APD provide TTL logic pulses that are monitored using a multichannel scaler card used to count the return photons as a function of time of flight and are thus interchangeable. The DIAL instrument was developed at the 1.571 m wavelength to take advantage of commercial-off-the-shelf components. The instrument is operated using a custom Labview program that switches to the DMLD operating at the on-line wavelength, locks this laser to a user defined wavelength setting, and collects return signals for a user defined time. The control program switches to the DMLD operating at the off

  8. Development of Prototype Micro-Lidar using Narrow Linewidth Semiconductor Lasers for Mars Boundary Layer Wind and Dust Opacity Profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menzies, Robert T.; Cardell, Greg; Chiao, Meng; Esproles, Carlos; Forouhar, Siamak; Hemmati, Hamid; Tratt, David

    1999-01-01

    We have developed a compact Doppler lidar concept which utilizes recent developments in semiconductor diode laser technology in order to be considered suitable for wind and dust opacity profiling in the Mars lower atmosphere from a surface location. The current understanding of the Mars global climate and meteorology is very limited, with only sparse, near-surface data available from the Viking and Mars Pathfinder landers, supplemented by long-range remote sensing of the Martian atmosphere. The in situ measurements from a lander-based Doppler lidar would provide a unique dataset particularly for the boundary layer. The coupling of the radiative properties of the lower atmosphere with the dynamics involves the radiative absorption and scattering effects of the wind-driven dust. Variability in solar irradiance, on diurnal and seasonal time scales, drives vertical mixing and PBL (planetary boundary layer) thickness. The lidar data will also contribute to an understanding of the impact of wind-driven dust on lander and rover operations and lifetime through an improvement in our understanding of Mars climatology. In this paper we discuss the Mars lidar concept, and the development of a laboratory prototype for performance studies, using, local boundary layer and topographic target measurements.

  9. Airborne and ground based lidar measurements of the atmospheric pressure profile

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korb, C. Laurence; Schwemmer, Geary K.; Dombrowski, Mark; Weng, Chi Y.

    1989-01-01

    The first high accuracy remote measurements of the atmospheric pressure profile have been made. The measurements were made with a differential absorption lidar system that utilizes tunable alexandrite lasers. The absorption in the trough between two lines in the oxygen A-band near 760 nm was used for probing the atmosphere. Measurements of the two-dimensional structure of the pressure field were made in the troposphere from an aircraft looking down. Also, measurements of the one-dimensional structure were made from the ground looking up. Typical pressure accuracies for the aircraft measurements were 1.5-2 mbar with a 30-m vertical resolution and a 100-shot average (20 s), which corresponds to a 2-km horizontal resolution. Typical accuracies for the upward viewing ground based measurements were 2.0 mbar for a 30-m resolution and a 100-shot average.

  10. The design, development, and test of balloonborne and groundbased lidar systems. Volume 2: Flight test of Atmospheric Balloon Lidar Experiment, ABLE 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepherd, O.; Bucknam, R. D.; Hurd, A. G.; Sheehan, W. H.

    1991-06-01

    This is Volume 3 of a three volume final report on the design, development, and test of balloonborne and groundbased lidar systems. Volume 1 describes the design and fabrication of a balloonborne CO2 coherent payload to measure the 10.6 micrometers backscatter from atmospheric aerosols as a function of altitude. Volume 2 describes the Aug. 1987 flight test of Atmospheric Balloonborne Lidar Experiment, ABLE 2. In this volume we describe groundbased lidar development and measurements. A design was developed for installation of the ABLE lidar in the GL rooftop dome. A transportable shed was designed to house the ABLE lidar at the various remote measurement sites. Refurbishment and modification of the ABLE lidar were completed to permit groundbased lidar measurements of clouds and aerosols. Lidar field measurements were made at Ascension Island during SABLE 89. Lidar field measurements were made at Terciera, Azores during GABLE 90. These tasks were successfully completed, and recommendations for further lidar measurements and data analysis were made.

  11. a Brief Climatology of Cirrus LIDAR Ratios Measured by High Spectral Resolution LIDAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuehn, R.; Holz, R.; Hair, J. W.; Vaughan, M. A.; Eloranta, E. W.

    2015-12-01

    Our ability to detect and probe the vertical extent of cirrus was hugely improved with the launch of the NASA-CNES CALIPSO mission in April 2006. However, our skill at retrieving the optical properties of the cirrus detected by the CALIPSO lidar is not yet commensurate with our detection abilities. As with any new observing system, CALIPSO faces challenges and uncertainties in the retrieval of the geophysical parameters from its fundamental measurements. Specifically, extinction and optical depth retrievals for elastic backscatter lidars like CALIPSO typically rely on a priori assumptions about layer-mean extinction-to-backscatter ratios (AKA lidar ratios), which can vary regionally and for which uncertainties are high. To improve CALIPSO optical properties retrievals, we show High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) measurements acquired with systems from the University of Wisconsin and NASA Langley. HSRLs can directly determine ice cloud extinction and lidar ratio by separately measuring the molecular and particulate components of the total backscattered signal, thus largely eliminating many of the uncertainties inherent in elastic backscatter retrievals. These measurements were acquired during the SEAC4RS (Huntsville, AL, USA and Singapore), and FRAPPE/DISCOVER-AQ 2014 (BAO tower near Boulder, CO, USA) field campaigns, and an intensive operations period in Hampton, VA, USA.

  12. Water-vapour measurements up to the lower stratosphere — the high power raman lidar at the schneefernerhaus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klanner, Lisa; Trickl, Thomas; Vogelmann, Hannes

    2018-04-01

    A high-power Raman lidar system has been developed at the high-altitude research station Schneefernerhaus (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany) at 2675 m, at the side of an existing differential-absorption lidar. It is based on a 180-W single-line XeCl laser and on two Newtonian telescopes (up to 1.5-m-diameter). In this way a vertical range up to more than 20 km and an accuracy level of the order of 10 % can be achieved for a measurement time of 1 h. Temperature measurements have been demonstrated to altitudes up to 54 km with just 1 % of the full 308-nm backscatter signal. Significantly higher altitudes are expected when using a chopper that cuts off the first 10 km or for 353 nm.

  13. First measurements of a carbon dioxide plume from an industrial source using a ground based mobile differential absorption lidar.

    PubMed

    Robinson, R A; Gardiner, T D; Innocenti, F; Finlayson, A; Woods, P T; Few, J F M

    2014-08-01

    The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial sources is one of the main anthropogenic contributors to the greenhouse effect. Direct remote sensing of CO2 emissions using optical methods offers the potential for the identification and quantification of CO2 emissions. We report the development and demonstration of a ground based mobile differential absorption lidar (DIAL) able to measure the mass emission rate of CO2 in the plume from a power station. To our knowledge DIAL has not previously been successfully applied to the measurement of emission plumes of CO2 from industrial sources. A significant challenge in observing industrial CO2 emission plumes is the ability to discriminate and observe localised concentrations of CO2 above the locally observed background level. The objectives of the study were to modify our existing mobile infrared DIAL system to enable CO2 measurements and to demonstrate the system at a power plant to assess the feasibility of the technique for the identification and quantification of CO2 emissions. The results of this preliminary study showed very good agreement with the expected emissions calculated by the site. The detection limit obtained from the measurements, however, requires further improvement to provide quantification of smaller emitters of CO2, for example for the detection of fugitive emissions. This study has shown that in principle, remote optical sensing technology will have the potential to provide useful direct data on CO2 mass emission rates.

  14. Scanning Raman Lidar Measurements During the WVIOP2000 and AFWEX Field Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whiteman, David N.; Evans, K. D.; Berkoff, T. B.; Demoz, B. D.; DiGirolamo, P.; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scanning Raman Lidar (SRL) participated in the Water Vapor IOP 2000 (WVIOP2000) and ARM FIRE Water Vapor Experiment (AFWEX) at the DOE SGP CART site in northern Oklahoma. These experiments occurred during the period of September and December, 2000. The goals of both the WVIOP2000 and AFWEX were to better characterize the water vapor measurement capability of numerous sensors in the lower atmosphere and upper troposphere, respectively. The SRL received several hardware upgrades in anticipation of these experiments that permitted improved measurements of water vapor during the daytime and in the upper troposphere (UT). The daytime SRL water vapor error statistics were demonstrated a factor of 2-3 improvement compared to the permanently stationed CART Raman lidar (CARL). The performance of the SRL in the UT showed improvements as well. The technological upgrades that permitted these improved SRL measurements could also be implemented in the CARL system. Data examples demonstrating the new daytime and upper tropospheric measurement capability of the SRL will be shown at the meeting. In addition, preliminary analysis will be presented on several topics: 1) inter comparison of the water vapor measurements for several water vapor sensors including SRL, CARL, the NASA/Langley Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) flown onboard the NASA DC-8, in-situ sensors flown on the DC-8, and the Max Planck Institute Differential Absorption Lidar 2) comparison of cirrus cloud measurements using SRL and CARL and 3) case studies of meteorological events that occurred during the IOPs such as a cold frontal passage on the night of September 23.

  15. Weather and climate needs for Lidar observations from space and concepts for their realization. [wind, temperature, moisture, and pressure data needs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Atlas, D.; Korb, C. L.

    1980-01-01

    The spectrum of weather and climate needs for Lidar observations from space is discussed with emphasis on the requirements for wind, temperature, moisture, and pressure data. It is shown that winds are required to realistically depict all atmospheric scales in the tropics and the smaller scales at higher latitudes, where both temperature and wind profiles are necessary. The need for means to estimate air-sea exchanges of sensible and latent heat also is noted. A concept for achieving this through a combination of Lidar cloud top heights and IR cloud top temperatures of cloud streets formed during cold air outbreaks over the warmer ocean is outlined. Recent theoretical feasibility studies concerning the profiling of temperatures, pressure, and humidity by differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) from space and expected accuracies are reviewed. An alternative approach to Doppler Lidar wind measurements also is presented. The concept involves the measurement of the displacement of the aerosol backscatter pattern, at constant heights, between two successive scans of the same area, one ahead of the spacecraft and the other behind it a few minutes later. Finally, an integrated space Lidar system capable of measuring temperature, pressure, humidity, and winds which combines the DIAL methods with the aerosol pattern displacement concept is described.

  16. Mobile lidar system for monitoring of gaseous pollutants in atmosphere over industrial and urban area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moskalenko, Irina V.; Shecheglov, Djolinard A.; Rogachev, Aleksei P.; Avdonin, Aleksandr A.; Molodtsov, Nikolai A.

    1999-01-01

    The lidar remote sensing techniques are powerful for monitoring of gaseous toxic species in atmosphere over wide areas. The paper presented describes design, development and field testing of Mobile Lidar System (MLS) based on utilization of Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) technique. The activity is performed by Russian Research Center 'Kurchatov Institute' and Research Institute of Pulse Technique within the project 'Mobile Remote SEnsing System Based on Tunable Laser Transmitter for Environmental Monitoring' under funding of International Scientific and Technology Center Moscow. A brief description of MLS is presented including narrowband transmitter, receiver, system steering, data acquisition subsystem and software. MLS is housed in a mobile truck and is able to provide 3D mapping of gaseous species. Sulfur dioxide and elemental mercury were chosen as basic atmospheric pollutants for field test of MLS. The problem of anthropogenic ozone detection attracts attention due to increase traffic in Moscow. The experimental sites for field testing are located in Moscow Region. Examples of field DIAL measurements will be presented. Application of remote sensing to toxic species near-real time measurements is now under consideration. The objective is comparison of pollution level in working zone with maximum permissible concentration of hazardous pollutant.

  17. IIP Update: A Packaged Coherent Doppler Wind Lidar Transceiver. Doppler Aerosol WiNd Lidar (DAWN)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kavaya, Michael J.; Koch, Grady J.; Yu, Jirong; Trieu, Bo C.; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Singh, Upendra N.; Petros, Mulugeta

    2006-01-01

    The state-of-the-art 2-micron coherent Doppler wind lidar breadboard at NASA/LaRC will be engineered and compactly packaged consistent with future aircraft flights. The packaged transceiver will be integrated into a coherent Doppler wind lidar system test bed at LaRC. Atmospheric wind measurements will be made to validate the packaged technology. This will greatly advance the coherent part of the hybrid Doppler wind lidar solution to the need for global tropospheric wind measurements.

  18. Analysis of Lidar Remote Sensing Concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spiers, Gary D.

    1999-01-01

    Line of sight velocity and measurement position sensitivity analyses for an orbiting coherent Doppler lidar are developed and applied to two lidars, one with a nadir angle of 30 deg. in a 300 km altitude, 58 deg. inclination orbit and the second for a 45 deg. nadir angle instrument in a 833 km altitude, 89 deg. inclination orbit. The effect of orbit related effects on the backscatter sensitivity of a coherent Doppler lidar is also discussed. Draft performance estimate, error budgets and payload accommodation requirements for the SPARCLE (Space Readiness Coherent Lidar) instrument were also developed and documented.

  19. New Generation Lidar Technology and Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spinhirne, James D.

    1999-01-01

    Lidar has been a tool for atmospheric research for several decades. Until recently routine operational use of lidar was not known. Problems have involved a lack of appropriate technology rather than a lack of applications. Within the last few years, lidar based on a new generation of solid state lasers and detectors have changed the situation. Operational applications for cloud and aerosol research applications are now well established. In these research applications, the direct height profiling capability of lidar is typically an adjunct to other types of sensing, both passive and active. Compact eye safe lidar with the sensitivity for ground based monitoring of all significant cloud and aerosol structure and the reliability to operate full time for several years is now in routine use. The approach is known as micro pulse lidar (MPL). For MPL the laser pulse repetition rate is in the kilohertz range and the pulse energies are in the micro-Joule range. The low pulse energy permits the systems to be eye safe and reliable with solid state lasers. A number of MPL systems have been deployed since 1992 at atmospheric research sites at a variety of global locations. Accurate monitoring of cloud and aerosol vertical distribution is a critical measurement for atmospheric radiation. An airborne application of lidar cloud and aerosol profiling is retrievals of parameters from combined lidar and passive sensing involving visible, infrared and microwave frequencies. A lidar based on a large pulse, solid state diode pumped ND:YAG laser has been deployed on the NASA ER-2 high altitude research aircraft along with multi-spectral visible/IR and microwave imaging radiometers since 1993. The system has shown high reliability in an extensive series of experimental projects for cloud remote sensing. The retrieval of cirrus radiation parameters is an effective application for combined lidar and passive sensing. An approved NASA mission will soon begin long term lidar observation of

  20. Improving Lidar Turbulence Estimates for Wind Energy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Clifton, Andrew; Churchfield, Matthew J.

    2016-10-06

    Remote sensing devices (e.g., lidars) are quickly becoming a cost-effective and reliable alternative to meteorological towers for wind energy applications. Although lidars can measure mean wind speeds accurately, these devices measure different values of turbulence intensity (TI) than an instrument on a tower. In response to these issues, a lidar TI error reduction model was recently developed for commercially available lidars. The TI error model first applies physics-based corrections to the lidar measurements, then uses machine-learning techniques to further reduce errors in lidar TI estimates. The model was tested at two sites in the Southern Plains where vertically profiling lidarsmore » were collocated with meteorological towers. This presentation primarily focuses on the physics-based corrections, which include corrections for instrument noise, volume averaging, and variance contamination. As different factors affect TI under different stability conditions, the combination of physical corrections applied in L-TERRA changes depending on the atmospheric stability during each 10-minute time period. This stability-dependent version of L-TERRA performed well at both sites, reducing TI error and bringing lidar TI estimates closer to estimates from instruments on towers. However, there is still scatter evident in the lidar TI estimates, indicating that there are physics that are not being captured in the current version of L-TERRA. Two options are discussed for modeling the remainder of the TI error physics in L-TERRA: machine learning and lidar simulations. Lidar simulations appear to be a better approach, as they can help improve understanding of atmospheric effects on TI error and do not require a large training data set.« less

  1. Improving Lidar Turbulence Estimates for Wind Energy: Preprint

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, Jennifer; Clifton, Andrew; Churchfield, Matthew

    2016-10-01

    Remote sensing devices (e.g., lidars) are quickly becoming a cost-effective and reliable alternative to meteorological towers for wind energy applications. Although lidars can measure mean wind speeds accurately, these devices measure different values of turbulence intensity (TI) than an instrument on a tower. In response to these issues, a lidar TI error reduction model was recently developed for commercially available lidars. The TI error model first applies physics-based corrections to the lidar measurements, then uses machine-learning techniques to further reduce errors in lidar TI estimates. The model was tested at two sites in the Southern Plains where vertically profiling lidarsmore » were collocated with meteorological towers. Results indicate that the model works well under stable conditions but cannot fully mitigate the effects of variance contamination under unstable conditions. To understand how variance contamination affects lidar TI estimates, a new set of equations was derived in previous work to characterize the actual variance measured by a lidar. Terms in these equations were quantified using a lidar simulator and modeled wind field, and the new equations were then implemented into the TI error model.« less

  2. Lidar Sensors for Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amzajerdian, Farzin; Petway, Larry B.; Hines, Glenn D.; Roback, Vincent E.; Reisse, Robert A.; Pierrottet, Diego F.

    2013-01-01

    Lidar technology will play an important role in enabling highly ambitious missions being envisioned for exploration of solar system bodies. Currently, NASA is developing a set of advanced lidar sensors, under the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) project, aimed at safe landing of robotic and manned vehicles at designated sites with a high degree of precision. These lidar sensors are an Imaging Flash Lidar capable of generating high resolution three-dimensional elevation maps of the terrain, a Doppler Lidar for providing precision vehicle velocity and altitude, and a Laser Altimeter for measuring distance to the ground and ground contours from high altitudes. The capabilities of these lidar sensors have been demonstrated through four helicopter and one fixed-wing aircraft flight test campaigns conducted from 2008 through 2012 during different phases of their development. Recently, prototype versions of these landing lidars have been completed for integration into a rocket-powered terrestrial free-flyer vehicle (Morpheus) being built by NASA Johnson Space Center. Operating in closed-loop with other ALHAT avionics, the viability of the lidars for future landing missions will be demonstrated. This paper describes the ALHAT lidar sensors and assesses their capabilities and impacts on future landing missions.

  3. The NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET): Co-location of Lidars with AERONET

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Welton, Ellsworth J.; Campbell, James R.; Berkoff, Timothy A.; Spinhirne, James D.; Holben, Brent; Tsay, Si-Chee

    2004-01-01

    We present the formation of a global-ground based eye-safe lidar network, the NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET). The aim of MPLNET is to acquire long-term observations of aerosol and cloud vertical profiles at unique geographic sites within the NASA Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). Network growth follows a federated approach, pioneered by AERONET, wherein independent research groups may join MPLNET with their own instrument and site. MPLNET utilizes standard instrumentation and data processing algorithms for efficient network operations and direct comparison of data between each site. The micro-pulse lidar is eye-safe, compact, and commercially available, and most easily allows growth of the network without sacrificing standardized instrumentation gods. Red-time data products (next-day) are available, and include Level 1 daily lidar signal images from the surface to -2Okm, and Level 1.5 aerosol extinction provides at times co-incident with AERONET observations. Testing of our quality assured aerosol extinction products, Level 2, is near completion and data will soon be available. Level 3 products, continuous daylight aerosol extinction profiles, are under development and testing has begun. An overview of h4PL" will be presented. Successful methods of merging standardized lidar operations with AERONET will also be discussed, with the first 4 years of MPLNET results serving as an example.

  4. LiDAR for data efficiency.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-09-30

    This report documents the AHMCT research project: LiDAR for Data Efficiency for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The research objective was to evaluate mobile LiDAR technology to enhance safety, determine efficiency ga...

  5. New calibration technique for water-vapor Raman lidar combined with the GNSS precipitable water vapor and the Meso-Scale Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kakihara, H.; Yabuki, M.; Kitafuji, F.; Tsuda, T.; Tsukamoto, M.; Hasegawa, T.; Hashiguchi, H.; Yamamoto, M.

    2017-12-01

    Atmospheric water vapor plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and meteorology, with implications for climate change and severe weather. The Raman lidar technique is useful for observing water-vapor with high spatiotemporal resolutions. However, the calibration factor must be determined before observations. Because the calibration factor is generally evaluated by comparing Raman-signal results with those of independent measurement techniques (e.g., radiosonde), it is difficult to apply this technique to lidar sites where radiosonde observation cannot be carried out. In this study, we propose a new calibration technique for water-vapor Raman lidar using global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-derived precipitable water vapor (PWV) and Japan Meteorological Agency meso-scale model (MSM). The analysis was accomplished by fitting the GNSS-PWV to integrated water-vapor profiles combined with the MSM and the results of the lidar observations. The maximum height of the lidar signal applicable to this method was determined within 2.0 km by considering the signal noise mainly caused by low clouds. The MSM data was employed at higher regions that cannot apply the lidar data. This method can be applied to lidar signals lower than a limited height range due to weather conditions and lidar specifications. For example, Raman lidar using a laser operating in the ultraviolet C (UV-C) region has the advantage of daytime observation since there is no solar background radiation in the system. The observation range is, however, limited at altitudes lower than 1-3 km because of strong ozone absorption at the UV-C region. The new calibration technique will allow the utilization of various types of Raman lidar systems and provide many opportunities for calibration. We demonstrated the potential of this method by using the UV-C Raman lidar and GNSS observation data at the Shigaraki MU radar observatory (34°51'N, 136°06'E; 385m a.s.l.) of the Research Institute for Sustainable

  6. Clear-air lidar dark band

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Girolamo, Paolo Di; Scoccione, Andrea; Cacciani, Marco; Summa, Donato; Schween, Jan H.

    2018-04-01

    This paper illustrates measurements carried out by the Raman lidar BASIL in the frame of HOPE, revealing the presence of a clear-air dark band phenomenon (i.e. the appearance of a minimum in lidar backscatter echoes) in the upper portion of the convective boundary layer. The phenomenon is clearly distinguishable in the lidar backscatter echoes at 1064 nm. This phenomenon is attributed to the presence of lignite aerosol particles advected from the surrounding open pit mines in the vicinity of the measuring site.

  7. Airborne Coherent Lidar for Advanced In-Flight Measurements (ACLAIM) Flight Testing of the Lidar Sensor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Soreide, David C.; Bogue, Rodney K.; Ehernberger, L. J.; Hannon, Stephen M.; Bowdle, David A.

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of the ACLAIM program is ultimately to establish the viability of light detection and ranging (lidar) as a forward-looking sensor for turbulence. The goals of this flight test are to: 1) demonstrate that the ACLAIM lidar system operates reliably in a flight test environment, 2) measure the performance of the lidar as a function of the aerosol backscatter coefficient (beta), 3) use the lidar system to measure atmospheric turbulence and compare these measurements to onboard gust measurements, and 4) make measurements of the aerosol backscatter coefficient, its probability distribution and spatial distribution. The scope of this paper is to briefly describe the ACLAIM system and present examples of ACLAIM operation in flight, including comparisons with independent measurements of wind gusts, gust-induced normal acceleration, and the derived eddy dissipation rate.

  8. Lidar - DTU SpinnerLidar - Reviewed Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Herges, Thomas

    2017-10-23

    Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) Facility meteorological tower (MET), turbine, and Technical University of Denmark (DTU) SpinnerLidar data acquired on 20161216 UTC during a neutral atmospheric boundary layer inflow at a single focus distance of 2.5 D (D=27 m).

  9. High resolution Doppler lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abreu, Vincent J.; Hays, Paul B.; Barnes, John E.

    1989-01-01

    A high resolution lidar system was implemented to measure winds in the lower atmosphere. The wind speed along the line of sight was determined by measuring the Doppler shift of the aerosol backscattered laser signal. The system in its present configuration is stable, and behaves as indicated by theoretical simulations. This system was built to demonstrate the capabilities of the detector system as a prototype for a spaceborne lidar. The detector system investigated consisted of a plane Fabry-Perot etalon, and a 12-ring anode detector. This system is generically similar to the Fabry-Perot interferometer developed for passive wind measurements on board the Dynamics Explorer satellite. That this detector system performs well in a lidar configuration was demonstrated.

  10. Occurrence and characteristics of mutual interference between LIDAR scanners

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Gunzung; Eom, Jeongsook; Park, Seonghyeon; Park, Yongwan

    2015-05-01

    The LIDAR scanner is at the heart of object detection of the self-driving car. Mutual interference between LIDAR scanners has not been regarded as a problem because the percentage of vehicles equipped with LIDAR scanners was very rare. With the growing number of autonomous vehicle equipped with LIDAR scanner operated close to each other at the same time, the LIDAR scanner may receive laser pulses from other LIDAR scanners. In this paper, three types of experiments and their results are shown, according to the arrangement of two LIDAR scanners. We will show the probability that any LIDAR scanner will interfere mutually by considering spatial and temporal overlaps. It will present some typical mutual interference scenario and report an analysis of the interference mechanism.

  11. Methods from Information Extraction from LIDAR Intensity Data and Multispectral LIDAR Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scaioni, M.; Höfle, B.; Baungarten Kersting, A. P.; Barazzetti, L.; Previtali, M.; Wujanz, D.

    2018-04-01

    LiDAR is a consolidated technology for topographic mapping and 3D reconstruction, which is implemented in several platforms On the other hand, the exploitation of the geometric information has been coupled by the use of laser intensity, which may provide additional data for multiple purposes. This option has been emphasized by the availability of sensors working on different wavelength, thus able to provide additional information for classification of surfaces and objects. Several applications ofmonochromatic and multi-spectral LiDAR data have been already developed in different fields: geosciences, agriculture, forestry, building and cultural heritage. The use of intensity data to extract measures of point cloud quality has been also developed. The paper would like to give an overview on the state-of-the-art of these techniques, and to present the modern technologies for the acquisition of multispectral LiDAR data. In addition, the ISPRS WG III/5 on `Information Extraction from LiDAR Intensity Data' has collected and made available a few open data sets to support scholars to do research on this field. This service is presented and data sets delivered so far as are described.

  12. Lidar - ND Halo Scanning Doppler, Boardman - Reviewed Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Otarola, Sebastian

    2017-10-23

    The University of Notre Dame (ND) scanning LiDAR dataset used for the WFIP2 Campaign is provided. The LiDAR is a Halo Photonics Stream Line Scanning Doppler LiDAR. **It is highly recommended to discuss any planned use of these data with University of Notre Dame scientists**. For more information refer to Section 4.c) in the updated version of the "WFIP2 Project (lidar.z07)" Readme file, where the lidar.z07.b0 dataset is fully explained.

  13. SAR and LIDAR fusion: experiments and applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edwards, Matthew C.; Zaugg, Evan C.; Bradley, Joshua P.; Bowden, Ryan D.

    2013-05-01

    In recent years ARTEMIS, Inc. has developed a series of compact, versatile Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems which have been operated on a variety of small manned and unmanned aircraft. The multi-frequency-band SlimSAR has demonstrated a variety of capabilities including maritime and littoral target detection, ground moving target indication, polarimetry, interferometry, change detection, and foliage penetration. ARTEMIS also continues to build upon the radar's capabilities through fusion with other sensors, such as electro-optical and infrared camera gimbals and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices. In this paper we focus on experiments and applications employing SAR and LIDAR fusion. LIDAR is similar to radar in that it transmits a signal which, after being reflected or scattered by a target area, is recorded by the sensor. The differences are that a LIDAR uses a laser as a transmitter and optical sensors as a receiver, and the wavelengths used exhibit a very different scattering phenomenology than the microwaves used in radar, making SAR and LIDAR good complementary technologies. LIDAR is used in many applications including agriculture, archeology, geo-science, and surveying. Some typical data products include digital elevation maps of a target area and features and shapes extracted from the data. A set of experiments conducted to demonstrate the fusion of SAR and LIDAR data include a LIDAR DEM used in accurately processing the SAR data of a high relief area (mountainous, urban). Also, feature extraction is used in improving geolocation accuracy of the SAR and LIDAR data.

  14. A cloud masking algorithm for EARLINET lidar systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Binietoglou, Ioannis; Baars, Holger; D'Amico, Giuseppe; Nicolae, Doina

    2015-04-01

    Cloud masking is an important first step in any aerosol lidar processing chain as most data processing algorithms can only be applied on cloud free observations. Up to now, the selection of a cloud-free time interval for data processing is typically performed manually, and this is one of the outstanding problems for automatic processing of lidar data in networks such as EARLINET. In this contribution we present initial developments of a cloud masking algorithm that permits the selection of the appropriate time intervals for lidar data processing based on uncalibrated lidar signals. The algorithm is based on a signal normalization procedure using the range of observed values of lidar returns, designed to work with different lidar systems with minimal user input. This normalization procedure can be applied to measurement periods of only few hours, even if no suitable cloud-free interval exists, and thus can be used even when only a short period of lidar measurements is available. Clouds are detected based on a combination of criteria including the magnitude of the normalized lidar signal and time-space edge detection performed using the Sobel operator. In this way the algorithm avoids misclassification of strong aerosol layers as clouds. Cloud detection is performed using the highest available time and vertical resolution of the lidar signals, allowing the effective detection of low-level clouds (e.g. cumulus humilis). Special attention is given to suppress false cloud detection due to signal noise that can affect the algorithm's performance, especially during day-time. In this contribution we present the details of algorithm, the effect of lidar characteristics (space-time resolution, available wavelengths, signal-to-noise ratio) to detection performance, and highlight the current strengths and limitations of the algorithm using lidar scenes from different lidar systems in different locations across Europe.

  15. LIDAR measurements of Arctic boundary layer ozone depletion events over the frozen Arctic Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seabrook, J. A.; Whiteway, J.; Staebler, R. M.; Bottenheim, J. W.; Komguem, L.; Gray, L. H.; Barber, D.; Asplin, M.

    2011-09-01

    A differential absorption light detection and ranging instrument (Differential Absorption LIDAR or DIAL) was installed on-board the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen and operated during the winter and spring of 2008. During this period the vessel was stationed in the Amundsen Gulf (71°N, 121-124°W), approximately 10-40 km off the south coast of Banks Island. The LIDAR was operated to obtain a continuous record of the vertical profile of ozone concentration in the lower atmosphere over the sea ice during the polar sunrise. The observations included several ozone depletion events (ODE's) within the atmospheric boundary layer. The strongest ODEs consisted of air with ozone mixing ratio less than 10 ppbv up to heights varying from 200 m to 600 m, and the increase to the background mixing ratio of about 35-40 ppbv occurred within about 200 m in the overlying air. All of the observed ODEs were connected to the ice surface. Back trajectory calculations indicated that the ODEs only occurred in air that had spent an extended period of time below a height of 500 m above the sea ice. Also, all the ODEs occurred in air with temperature below -25°C. Air not depleted in ozone was found to be associated with warmer air originating from above the surface layer.

  16. Measurement of the Vertical Distribution of Aerosol by Globally Distributed MP Lidar Network Sites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spinhirne, James; Welton, Judd; Campbell, James; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The global distribution of aerosol has an important influence on climate through the scattering and absorption of shortwave radiation and through modification of cloud optical properties. Current satellite and other data already provide a great amount of information on aerosol distribution. However there are critical parameters that can only be obtained by active optical profiling. For aerosol, no passive technique can adequately resolve the height profile of aerosol. The aerosol height distribution is required for any model for aerosol transport and the height resolved radiative heating/cooling effect of aerosol. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) is an orbital lidar to be launched by 2002. GLAS will provide global measurements of the height distribution of aerosol. The sampling will be limited by nadir only coverage. There is a need for local sites to address sampling, and accuracy factors. Full time measurements of the vertical distribution of aerosol are now being acquired at a number of globally distributed MP (micro pulse) lidar sites. The MP lidar systems provide profiling of all significant cloud and aerosol to the limit of signal attenuation from compact, eye safe instruments. There are currently six sites in operation and over a dozen planned. At all sites there are a complement of passive aerosol and radiation measurements supporting the lidar data. Four of the installations are at Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program sites. The aerosol measurements, retrievals and data products from the network sites will be discussed. The current and planned application of data to supplement satellite aerosol measurements is covered.

  17. Automated Mounting Bias Calibration for Airborne LIDAR System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, J.; Jiang, W.; Jiang, S.

    2012-07-01

    Mounting bias is the major error source of Airborne LIDAR system. In this paper, an automated calibration method for estimating LIDAR system mounting parameters is introduced. LIDAR direct geo-referencing model is used to calculate systematic errors. Due to LIDAR footprints discretely sampled, the real corresponding laser points are hardly existence among different strips. The traditional corresponding point methodology does not seem to apply to LIDAR strip registration. We proposed a Virtual Corresponding Point Model to resolve the corresponding problem among discrete laser points. Each VCPM contains a corresponding point and three real laser footprints. Two rules are defined to calculate tie point coordinate from real laser footprints. The Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) is used to extract corresponding points in LIDAR strips, and the automatic flow of LIDAR system calibration based on VCPM is detailed described. The practical examples illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed calibration method.

  18. Development of a UAV-based Global Ozone Lidar Demonstrator (GOLD)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Browell, E. V.; Deyoung, R. J.; Hair, J. W.; Ismail, S.; McGee, T.; Hardesty, R. M.; Brewer, W. A.; McDermid, I. S.

    2006-12-01

    Global ozone measurements are needed across the troposphere with high vertical resolution to enable comprehensive studies of continental and intercontinental atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, which are affected by diverse natural and human-induced processes. The development of a unattended aerial vehicle (UAV) based Global Ozone Lidar Demonstrator (GOLD) is an important step in enabling a space-based ozone and aerosol lidar and for conducting unique UAV-based large-scale atmospheric investigations. The GOLD system will incorporate the most advanced technology developed under the NASA Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) and the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program to produce a compact, autonomously operating ozone and aerosol Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system for a UAV platform. This system will leverage advanced Nd:YAG and optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser technologies being developed by ITT Industries under the LRRP and the autonomously operating ozone DIAL system being developed by Science and Engineering Services Inc. (SESI) under an SBIR Phase-3 contract. Laser components from ITT will be integrated into the SESI DIAL system, and the resulting GOLD system will be flight tested on a NASA UAV. The development of the GOLD system was initiated as part of the NASA Instrument Incubator Program in December 2005, and great progress has been made towards completing major GOLD subsystems. ITT has begun construction of the high-power Nd:YAG pump laser and the ultraviolet OPO for generating the ozone DIAL wavelengths of 290 and 300 nm and the aerosol visible wavelength at 532 nm. SESI is completing the Phase-3 SBIR contract for the delivery and demonstration of the ozone DIAL receiver and data system, and NOAA is completing detector evaluations for use in the GOLD system. Welch Mechanical is examining system designs for integrating GOLD into the external pod that will be hung under the new IKANA (Predator-B) UAV that NASA Dryden is

  19. Progress on Raman laser for sodium resonance fluorescence lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Steven X.; Yu, Anthony W.; Krainak, Michael A.; Bai, Yingxin; Konoplev, Oleg; Fahey, Molly E.; Numata, Kenji

    2018-02-01

    We are developing a Q-switched narrow linewidth intra-cavity Raman laser for a space based sodium lidar application. A novel Raman laser injection seeding scheme is proposed and is experimentally verified. A Q-switched, diode pumped, c-cut Nd:YVO4 laser has been designed to emit a fundamental wavelength at 1066.6 nm. This fundamental wavelength is used as the pump in an intra-cavity Raman conversion in a Gd0.2Y0.8VO4 composite material. By tuning the temperature of the crystal, we tuned the Raman shifting to the desired sodium absorption line. A diode end pumped, T-shaped laser cavity has been built for experimental investigation. The fundamental pump laser cavity is a twisted mode cavity to eliminate the spatial hole burning for effective injection seeding. The Raman laser cavity is a linear standing wave cavity because Raman gain medium does not suffer spatial hole burning as traditional laser gain medium. The linewidth and temporal profile of the Raman laser is experimentally investigated with narrow and broadband fundamental pump emission. We have, for the first time, demonstrated an injection seeded, high peak power, narrow linewidth intra-cavity Raman laser for potential use in a sodium resonance fluorescence lidar.

  20. Coherent Lidar Design and Performance Verification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frehlich, Rod

    1996-01-01

    This final report summarizes the investigative results from the 3 complete years of funding and corresponding publications are listed. The first year saw the verification of beam alignment for coherent Doppler lidar in space by using the surface return. The second year saw the analysis and computerized simulation of using heterodyne efficiency as an absolute measure of performance of coherent Doppler lidar. A new method was proposed to determine the estimation error for Doppler lidar wind measurements without the need for an independent wind measurement. Coherent Doppler lidar signal covariance, including wind shear and turbulence, was derived and calculated for typical atmospheric conditions. The effects of wind turbulence defined by Kolmogorov spatial statistics were investigated theoretically and with simulations. The third year saw the performance of coherent Doppler lidar in the weak signal regime determined by computer simulations using the best velocity estimators. Improved algorithms for extracting the performance of velocity estimators with wind turbulence included were also produced.

  1. Lidar-Radiometer Inversion Code (LIRIC) for the Retrieval of Vertical Aerosol Properties from Combined Lidar Radiometer Data: Development and Distribution in EARLINET

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chaikovsky, A.; Dubovik, O.; Holben, Brent N.; Bril, A.; Goloub, P.; Tanre, D.; Pappalardo, G.; Wandinger, U.; Chaikovskaya, L.; Denisov, S.; hide

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a detailed description of LIRIC (LIdar-Radiometer Inversion Code)algorithm for simultaneous processing of coincident lidar and radiometric (sun photometric) observations for the retrieval of the aerosol concentration vertical profiles. As the lidar radiometric input data we use measurements from European Aerosol Re-search Lidar Network (EARLINET) lidars and collocated sun-photometers of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). The LIRIC data processing provides sequential inversion of the combined lidar and radiometric data by the estimations of column-integrated aerosol parameters from radiometric measurements followed by the retrieval of height-dependent concentrations of fine and coarse aerosols from lidar signals using integrated column characteristics of aerosol layer as a priori constraints. The use of polarized lidar observations allows us to discriminate between spherical and non-spherical particles of the coarse aerosol mode. The LIRIC software package was implemented and tested at a number of EARLINET stations. Inter-comparison of the LIRIC-based aerosol retrievals was performed for the observations by seven EARLNET lidars in Leipzig, Germany on 25 May 2009. We found close agreement between the aerosol parameters derived from different lidars that supports high robustness of the LIRIC algorithm. The sensitivity of the retrieval results to the possible reduction of the available observation data is also discussed.

  2. Micro pulse lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spinhirne, James D.

    1993-01-01

    An eye safe, compact, solid state lidar for profiling atmospheric cloud and aerosol scattering has been demonstrated. The transmitter of the micropulse lidar is a diode pumped micro-J pulse energy, high repetition rate Nd:YLF laser. Eye safety is obtained through beam expansion. The receiver employs a photon counting solid state Geiger mode avalanche photodiode detector. Data acquisition is by a single card multichannel scaler. Daytime background induced quantum noise is controlled by a narrow receiver field-of-view and a narrow bandwidth temperature controlled interference filter. Dynamic range of the signal is limited by optical geometric signal compression. Signal simulations and initial atmospheric measurements indicate that systems built on the micropulse lidar concept are capable of detecting and profiling all significant cloud and aerosol scattering through the troposphere and into the stratosphere. The intended applications are scientific studies and environmental monitoring which require full time, unattended measurements of the cloud and aerosol height structure.

  3. Automatic Weather Station (AWS) Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rall, Jonathan A. R.; Campbell, James; Abshire, James B.; Spinhirne, James D.; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    A ground based, autonomous, low power atmospheric lidar instrument is being developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. We report on the design and anticipated performance of the proposed instrument and show data from two prototype lidar instruments previously deployed to Antarctica.

  4. Pulse-compression ghost imaging lidar via coherent detection.

    PubMed

    Deng, Chenjin; Gong, Wenlin; Han, Shensheng

    2016-11-14

    Ghost imaging (GI) lidar, as a novel remote sensing technique, has been receiving increasing interest in recent years. By combining pulse-compression technique and coherent detection with GI, we propose a new lidar system called pulse-compression GI lidar. Our analytical results, which are backed up by numerical simulations, demonstrate that pulse-compression GI lidar can obtain the target's spatial intensity distribution, range and moving velocity. Compared with conventional pulsed GI lidar system, pulse-compression GI lidar, without decreasing the range resolution, is easy to obtain high single pulse energy with the use of a long pulse, and the mechanism of coherent detection can eliminate the influence of the stray light, which is helpful to improve the detection sensitivity and detection range.

  5. Derivation of Sky-View Factors from LIDAR Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kidd, Christopher; Chapman, Lee

    2013-01-01

    The use of Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), an active light-emitting instrument, is becoming increasingly common for a range of potential applications. Its ability to provide fine resolution spatial and vertical resolution elevation data makes it ideal for a wide range of studies. This paper demonstrates the capability of Lidar data to measure sky view factors (SVF). The Lidar data is used to generate a spatial map of SVFs which are then compared against photographically-derived SVF at selected point locations. At each location three near-surface elevations measurements were taken and compared with collocated Lidar-derived estimated. It was found that there was generally good agreement between the two methodologies, although with decreasing SVF the Lidar-derived technique tended to overestimate the SVF: this can be attributed in part to the spatial resolution of the Lidar sampling. Nevertheless, airborne Lidar systems can map sky view factors over a large area easily, improving the utility of such data in atmospheric and meteorological models.

  6. Coherent Lidar Turbulence Measurement for Gust Load Alleviation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bogue, Rodney K.; Ehernberger, L. J.; Soreide, David; Bagley, Hal

    1996-01-01

    Atmospheric turbulence adversely affects operation of commercial and military aircraft and is a design constraint. The airplane structure must be designed to survive the loads imposed by turbulence. Reducing these loads allows the airplane structure to be lighter, a substantial advantage for a commercial airplane. Gust alleviation systems based on accelerometers mounted in the airplane can reduce the maximum gust loads by a small fraction. These systems still represent an economic advantage. The ability to reduce the gust load increases tremendously if the turbulent gust can be measured before the airplane encounters it. A lidar system can make measurements of turbulent gusts ahead of the airplane, and the NASA Airborne Coherent Lidar for Advanced In-Flight Measurements (ACLAIM) program is developing such a lidar. The ACLAIM program is intended to develop a prototype lidar system for use in feasibility testing of gust load alleviation systems and other airborne lidar applications, to define applications of lidar with the potential for improving airplane performance, and to determine the feasibility and benefits of these applications. This paper gives an overview of the ACLAIM program, describes the lidar architecture for a gust alleviation system, and describes the prototype ACLAIM lidar system.

  7. Flow tilt angle measurements using lidar anemometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dellwik, Ebba; Mann, Jakob

    2010-05-01

    A new way of estimating near-surface mean flow tilt angles from ground based Doppler lidar measurements is presented. The results are compared with traditional mast based in-situ sonic anemometry. The tilt angle assessed with the lidar is based on 10 or 30 minute mean values of the velocity field from a conically scanning lidar. In this mode of measurement, the lidar beam is rotated in a circle by a prism with a fixed angle to the vertical at varying focus distances. By fitting a trigonometric function to the scans, the mean vertical velocity can be estimated. Lidar measurements from (1) a fetch-limited beech forest site taken at 48-175m above ground level, (2) a reference site in flat agricultural terrain and (3) a second reference site in very complex terrain are presented. The method to derive flow tilt angles and mean vertical velocities from lidar has several advantages compared to sonic anemometry; there is no flow distortion caused by the instrument itself, there are no temperature effects and the instrument misalignment can be corrected for by comparing tilt estimates at various heights. Contrary to mast-based instruments, the lidar measures the wind field with the exact same alignment error at a multitude of heights. Disadvantages with estimating vertical velocities from a lidar compared to mast-based measurements are slightly increased levels of statistical errors due to limited sampling time, because the sampling is disjunct and a requirement for homogeneous flow. The estimated mean vertical velocity is biased if the flow over the scanned circle is not homogeneous. However, the error on the mean vertical velocity due to flow inhomogeneity can be approximated by a function of the angle of the lidar beam to the vertical, the measurement height and the vertical gradient of the mean vertical velocity, whereas the error due to flow inhomogeneity on the horizontal mean wind speed is independent of the lidar beam angle. For the presented measurements over

  8. IEA Task 32: Wind Lidar Systems for Wind Energy Deployment (LIDAR)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuhn, Martin; Trabucchi, Davide; Clifton, Andrew

    2016-05-25

    Under the International Energy Agency Wind Implementing Agreement (IEA Wind) Task 11, researchers started examining novel applications for remote sensing and the issues around them during the 51st topical expert meeting about remote sensing in January 2007. The 59th topical expert meeting organized by Task 11 in October 2009 was also dedicated to remote sensing, and the first draft of the Task's recommended practices on remote sensing was published in January 2013. The results of the Task 11 topical expert meetings provided solid groundwork for a new IEA Wind Task 32 on wind lidar technologies. Members of the wind communitymore » identified the need to consolidate the knowledge about wind lidar systems to facilitate their use, and to investigate how to exploit the advantages offered by this technology. This was the motivation that led to the start of IEA Wind Task 32 'Lidar Application for Wind Energy Deployment' in November 2011. The kick-off was meeting was held in May 2012.« less

  9. Lidar - ND Halo Scanning Doppler, Boardman - Derived Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Leo, Laura

    2018-01-26

    The University of Notre Dame (ND) scanning LiDAR dataset used for the WFIP2 Campaign is provided. The LiDAR is a Halo Photonics Stream Line Scanning Doppler LiDAR. **It is highly recommended to discuss any planned use of these data with University of Notre Dame scientists**. For more information refer to the attached "WFIP2 Project (lidar.z07)" Readme file.

  10. Lidar extinction measurement in the mid infrared

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitev, Valentin; Babichenko, S.; Borelli, R.; Fiorani, L.; Grigorov, I.; Nuvoli, M.; Palucci, A.; Pistilli, M.; Puiu, Ad.; Rebane, Ott; Santoro, S.

    2014-11-01

    We present a lidar measurement of atmospheric extinction coefficient. The measurement is performed by inversion of the backscatter lidar signal at wavelengths 3'000nm and 3'500nm. The inversion of the backscatter lidar signal was performed with constant extinction-to-backscatter ration values of 104 and exponential factor 0.1.

  11. The need for a national LIDAR dataset

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stoker, Jason M.; Harding, David; Parrish, Jay

    2008-01-01

    On May 21st and 22nd 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG) hosted the Second National Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) Initiative Strategy Meeting at USGS Headquarters in Reston, Virginia. The USGS is taking the lead in cooperation with many partners to design and implement a future high-resolution National Lidar Dataset. Initial work is focused on determining viability, developing requirements and specifi cations, establishing what types of information contained in a lidar signal are most important, and identifying key stakeholders and their respective roles. In February 2007, USGS hosted the fi rst National Lidar Initiative Strategy Meeting at USGS Headquarters in Virginia. The presentations and a published summary report from the fi rst meeting can be found on the Center for Lidar Information Coordination and Knowledge (CLICK) Website: http://lidar.cr.usgs.gov. The fi rst meeting demonstrated the public need for consistent lidar data at the national scale. The goals of the second meeting were to further expand on the ideas and information developed in the fi rst meeting, to bring more stakeholders together, to both refi ne and expand on the requirements and capabilities needed, and to discuss an organizational and funding approach for an initiative of this magnitude. The approximately 200 participants represented Federal, State, local, commercial and academic interests. The second meeting included a public solicitation for presentations and posters to better democratize the workshop. All of the oral presentation abstracts that were submitted were accepted, and the 25 poster submissions augmented and expanded upon the oral presentations. The presentations from this second meeting, including audio, can be found on CLICK at http://lidar.cr.usgs.gov/national_lidar_2008.php. Based on the presentations and the discussion sessions, the following

  12. Development and Deployment of a Compact Eye-Safe Scanning Differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) for Spatial Mapping of Carbon Dioxide for Monitoring/Verification/Accounting at Geologic Sequestration Sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Repasky, Kevin

    2014-03-31

    A scanning differential absorption lidar (DIAL) instrument for monitoring carbon dioxide has been developed. The laser transmitter uses two tunable discrete mode laser diodes (DMLD) operating in the continuous wave (cw) mode with one locked to the online absorption wavelength and the other operating at the offline wavelength. Two in-line fiber optic switches are used to switch between online and offline operation. After the fiber optic switch, an acousto- optic modulator (AOM) is used to generate a pulse train used to injection seed an erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) to produce eye-safe laser pulses with maximum pulse energies of 66more » {micro}J, a pulse repetition frequency of 15 kHz, and an operating wavelength of 1.571 {micro}m. The DIAL receiver uses a 28 cm diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to collect that backscattered light, which is then monitored using a photo-multiplier tube (PMT) module operating in the photon counting mode. The DIAL instrument has been operated from a laboratory environment on the campus of Montana State University, at the Zero Emission Research Technology (ZERT) field site located in the agricultural research area on the western end of the Montana State University campus, and at the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership site located in north-central Montana. DIAL data has been collected and profiles have been validated using a co-located Licor LI-820 Gas Analyzer point sensor.« less

  13. WIND MEASUREMENTS WITH HIGH-ENERGY DOPPLER LIDAR

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koch, Grady J.; Kavaya, Michael J.; Barnes, Bruce W.; Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; Petros, Mulugeta; Jirong, Yu; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Slingh, Upendra N.

    2006-01-01

    Coherent lidars at 2-micron wavelengths from holmium or thulium solid-state lasers have been in use to measure wind for applications in meteorology, aircraft wake vortex tracking, and turbulence detection [1,2,3] These field-deployed lidars, however, have generally been of a pulse energy of a few millijoules, limiting their range capability or restricting operation to regions of high aerosol concentration such as the atmospheric boundary layer. Technology improvements in the form of high-energy pulsed lasers, low noise detectors, and high optical quality telescopes are being evaluated to make wind measurements to long ranges or low aerosol concentrations. This research is aimed at developing lidar technology for satellite-based observation of wind on a global scale. The VALIDAR project was initiated to demonstrate a high pulse energy coherent Doppler lidar. VALIDAR gets its name from the concept of validation lidar, in that it can serve as a calibration and validation source for future airborne and spaceborne lidar missions. VALIDAR is housed within a mobile trailer for field measurements.

  14. Remote sensing of air pollution over large European cities by lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koelsch, Hans J.; Kolenda, Juergen; Rairoux, Patrick; Stein, Bernhard; Weidauer, Dirk; Wolf, Jean-Pierre; Woeste, Ludger H.; Fritzsche, Klaus

    1992-12-01

    Progresses in remote sensing of the atmosphere using the light detection and ranging (lidar) technique closely follows progresses in laser technology. We developed a mobile differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system, based on high repetition rate excimer-pumped dye lasers, for performing 2-D and 3-D mappings of concentration of NO, NO2, SO2, and O3. The high sensitivity of the system has been used for numerous environmental studies and measurement campaigns, providing for the first time a direct correlation between emission and immission. Attractive results have been obtained under urban conditions, because of the presence of strong concentration gradients, and fast fluctuations due to traffic. A comparative study between Lyon, France; Stuttgart, Germany; Geneva, Switzerland; and Berlin, Germany; is presented. In particular, the Berlin campaign demonstrates the possibility of detecting unknown emitters and monitoring exportation-importation processes of atmospheric pollution. A new stationary DIAL system has recently been constructed and implemented on the top of a building in the center of the city of Leipzig, Germany. It will routinely perform concentration mappings of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, giving access to long term evolution of pollution distributions.

  15. LIDAR mapping of ozone-episode dynamics in Paris and intercomparison with spot analyzers Supplementary material available at http://link.springer.de/journals/apb

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomasson, A.; Geffroy, S.; Frejafon, E.; Weidauer, D.; Fabian, R.; Godet, Y.; Nominé, M.; Ménard, T.; Rairoux, P.; Moeller, D.; Wolf, J. P.

    Continuous mapping of an ozone episode in Paris in June 1999 has been performed using a differential absorption lidar system. The 2D ozone concentration vertical maps recorded over 33 h at the Champ de Mars are compiled in a video clip that gives access to local photochemical dynamics with unprecedented precision. The lidar data are compared over the whole period with point monitors located at 0-, 50-, and 300-m altitudes on the Eiffel Tower. Very good agreement is found when spatial resolution, acquisition time, and required concentration accuracy are optimized. Sensitivity to these parameters for successful intercomparison in urban areas is discussed.

  16. Lidar signal-to-noise ratio improvements: Considerations and techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassebo, Yasser Y.

    The primary objective of this study is to improve lidar signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and hence extend attainable lidar ranges through reduction of the sky background noise (BGP), which dominates other sources of noise in daytime operations. This is particularly important for Raman lidar techniques where the Raman backscattered signal of interest is relatively weak compared with the elastic backscatter lidars. Two approaches for reduction of sky background noise are considered: (1) Improvements in lidar SNR by optimization of the design of the lidar receiver were examined by a series of simulations. This part of the research concentrated on biaxial lidar systems, where overlap between laser beam and receiver field of view (FOV) is an important aspect of noise considerations. The first optimized design evolved is a wedge shaped aperture. While this design has the virtue of greatly reducing background light, it is difficult to implement practically, requiring both changes in area and position with lidar range. A second more practical approach, which preserves some of the advantages of the wedge design, was also evolved. This uses a smaller area circular aperture optimally located in the image plane for desired ranges. Simulated numerical results for a biaxial lidar have shown that the best receiver parameters selection is one using a small circular aperture (field stop) with a small telescope focal length f, to ensure the minimum FOV that accepts all return signals over the entire lidar range while at the same time minimizing detected BGP and hence maximizing lidar SNR and attainable lidar ranges. The improvement in lidar SNR was up to 18%. (2) A polarization selection technique was implemented to reduce sky background signal for linearly polarized monostatic elastic backscatter lidar measurements. The technique takes advantage of naturally occurring polarization properties in scattered sky light, and then ensures that both the lidar transmitter and receiver track and

  17. Multiangle lidar observations of the Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lalitkumar Prakash, Pawar; Choukiker, Yogesh Kumar; Raghunath, K.

    2018-04-01

    Atmospheric Lidars are used extensively to get aerosol parameters like backscatter coefficient, backscatter ratio etc. National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Gadanki (13°N, 79°E), India has a powerful lidar which has alt-azimuth capability. Inversion method is applied to data from observations of lidar system at different azimuth and elevation angles. Data Analysis is described and Observations in 2D and 3D format are discussed. Presence of Cloud and the variation of backscatter parameters are seen in an interesting manner.

  18. Evaluation of LIDAR for landslide mapping.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-06-01

    The Caltrans GeoResearch Group, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation, successfully : used LIDAR technology to map landslides along two heavily forested highway corridors in Humboldt : and Del Norte Counties. LIDAR (Light Detection ...

  19. Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gimmestad, Gary G.; West, Leanne L.; Wood, Jack W.; Frehlich, Rod

    2004-01-01

    This report describes the results of investigations performed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) under a task entitled 'Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment' funded by the Crew Systems Branch of the Airborne Systems Competency at the NASA Langley Research Center. The investigations included two tasks, 1.1(a) and 1.1(b). The Tasks discussed in this report are in support of the NASA Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation (VAMS) program and are designed to evaluate a pulsed lidar that will be required for active wake vortex avoidance solutions. The Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) WindTracer LIDAR is an eye-safe, 2-micron, coherent, pulsed Doppler lidar with wake tracking capability. The actual performance of the WindTracer system was to be quantified. In addition, the sensor performance has been assessed and modeled, and the models have been included in simulation efforts. The WindTracer LIDAR was purchased by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in near-term field data collection efforts as part of a joint NASA/FAA wake vortex research program. In the joint research program, a minimum common wake and weather data collection platform will be defined. NASA Langley will use the field data to support wake model development and operational concept investigation in support of the VAMS project, where the ultimate goal is to improve airport capacity and safety. Task 1.1(a), performed by NCAR in Boulder, Colorado to analyze the lidar system to determine its performance and capabilities based on results from simulated lidar data with analytic wake vortex models provided by NASA, which were then compared to the vendor's claims for the operational specifications of the lidar. Task 1.1(a) is described in Section 3, including the vortex model, lidar parameters and simulations, and results for both detection and tracking of wake vortices generated by Boeing 737s and 747s. Task 1

  20. Tropospheric temperature measurements using a rotational raman lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Robert Benjamin, III

    Using the Hampton University (HU) Mie and Raman lidar, tropospheric temperature profiles were inferred from lidar measurements of anti-Stokes rotational Raman (RR) backscattered laser light from atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen molecules. The molecules were excited by 354.7 nanometer (nm) laser light emitted by the HU lidar. Averaged over 60-minute intervals, RR backscattered signals were detected in narrow 353.35 nm and 354.20 nm spectral bands with full-widths-at-half-maxima (FWHM) of 0.3 nm. During the special April 19-30, 2012, Ground-Based Remote Atmospheric Sounding Program (GRASP) campaign, the lidar temperature calibration coefficients were empirically derived using linear least squares and second order polynomial analyses of the lidar backscattered RR signals and of reference temperature profiles, obtained from radiosondes. The GRASP radiosondes were launched within 400 meters of the HU lidar site. Lidar derived temperature profiles were obtained at altitudes from the surface to over 18 kilometers (km) at night, and up to 5 km during the day. Using coefficients generated from least squares analyses, nighttime profiles were found to agree with profiles from reference radiosonde measurements within 3 K, at altitudes between 4 km and 9 km. Coefficients generated from the second order analyses yielded profiles which agreed with the reference profiles within 1 K uncertainty level in the 4 km to 10 km altitude region. Using profiles from GRASP radiosondes, the spatial and temporal homogeneities of the atmosphere, over HU, were estimated at the 1.5 K level within a 10 km radius of HU, and for observational periods approaching 3 hours. Theoretical calibration coefficients were derived from the optical and physical properties of the HU RR lidar and from the spectroscopic properties of atmospheric molecular nitrogen and oxygen. The theoretical coefficients along with lidar measurements of sky background radiances were used to evaluate the temporal stability of the

  1. Lidar observations of low-level wind reversals over the Gulf of Lion and characterization of their impact on the water vapour variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Di Girolamo, Paolo; Flamant, Cyrille; Cacciani, Marco; Summa, Donato; Stelitano, Dario; Richard, Evelyne; Ducrocq, Véronique; Fourrie, Nadia; Said, Frédérique

    2017-02-01

    Water vapour measurements from a ground-based Raman lidar and an airborne differential absorption lidar, complemented by high resolution numerical simulations from two mesoscale models (Arome-WMED and MESO-NH), are considered to investigate transition events from Mistral/Tramontane to southerly marine flow taking place over the Gulf of Lion in Southern France in the time frame September-October 2012, during the Hydrological Cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMeX) Special Observation Period 1 (SOP1). Low-level wind reversals associated with these transitions are found to have a strong impact on water vapour transport, leading to a large variability of the water vapour vertical and horizontal distribution. The high spatial and temporal resolution of the lidar data allow to monitor the time evolution of the three-dimensional water vapour field during these transitions from predominantly northerly Mistral/Tramontane flow to a predominantly southerly flow, allowing to identify the quite sharp separation between these flows, which is also quite well captured by the mesoscale models.

  2. Mobile multiwave lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gritsuta, A. N.; Klimkin, A. V.; Kokhanenko, G. P.; Kuryak, A. N.; Osipov, K. Y.; Ponomarev, Yu. N.; Simonova, G. V.

    2018-04-01

    The task that faced the authors was construction of a mobile lidar complex for detection and investigation of aerosol-gas formations in the atmosphere. The complex must be constructed of commercial industrially produced components as much as possible. Many of engineering solutions had been previously worked out by the authors when the first lidar of such type was developed. The complex is designed for study of capabilities of lidar sensing for remote investigation of aerosol-gas formations by their fluorescence and Raman scattering spectra, as well as topographyc objects by fluorescence spectra of their surfaces. The complex has been tested in 2016, and may be applied for atmospheric sensing, for detection of potentially hazardous and dangerous admixtures above the cities, industrial and agricultural emissions, including emissions after disclosures of agricultural animal burial sites. The complex is mounted on a motor vehicle chassis and is energy-independent, and that allow using it for remote sensing of different objects in different natural conditions. Probing distance: 30 000 meters in elastic scattering channel and 5 000 meters in fluorescence channel.

  3. Programming for energy monitoring/display system in multicolor lidar system research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alvarado, R. C., Jr.; Allen, R. J.

    1982-01-01

    The Z80 microprocessor based computer program that directs and controls the operation of the six channel energy monitoring/display system that is a part of the NASA Multipurpose Airborne Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system is described. The program is written in the Z80 assembly language and is located on EPROM memories. All source and assembled listings of the main program, five subroutines, and two service routines along with flow charts and memory maps are included. A combinational block diagram shows the interfacing (including port addresses) between the six power sensors, displays, front panel controls, the main general purpose minicomputer, and this dedicated microcomputer system.

  4. Spaceborne Lidar in the Study of Marine Systems.

    PubMed

    Hostetler, Chris A; Behrenfeld, Michael J; Hu, Yongxiang; Hair, Johnathan W; Schulien, Jennifer A

    2018-01-03

    Satellite passive ocean color instruments have provided an unbroken ∼20-year record of global ocean plankton properties, but this measurement approach has inherent limitations in terms of spatial-temporal sampling and ability to resolve vertical structure within the water column. These limitations can be addressed by coupling ocean color data with measurements from a spaceborne lidar. Airborne lidars have been used for decades to study ocean subsurface properties, but recent breakthroughs have now demonstrated that plankton properties can be measured with a satellite lidar. The satellite lidar era in oceanography has arrived. Here, we present a review of the lidar technique, its applications in marine systems, a perspective on what can be accomplished in the near future with an ocean- and atmosphere-optimized satellite lidar, and a vision for a multiplatform virtual constellation of observational assets that would enable a three-dimensional reconstruction of global ocean ecosystems.

  5. Spaceborne Lidar in the Study of Marine Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hostetler, Chris A.; Behrenfeld, Michael J.; Hu, Yongxiang; Hair, Johnathan W.; Schulien, Jennifer A.

    2018-01-01

    Satellite passive ocean color instruments have provided an unbroken ˜20-year record of global ocean plankton properties, but this measurement approach has inherent limitations in terms of spatial-temporal sampling and ability to resolve vertical structure within the water column. These limitations can be addressed by coupling ocean color data with measurements from a spaceborne lidar. Airborne lidars have been used for decades to study ocean subsurface properties, but recent breakthroughs have now demonstrated that plankton properties can be measured with a satellite lidar. The satellite lidar era in oceanography has arrived. Here, we present a review of the lidar technique, its applications in marine systems, a perspective on what can be accomplished in the near future with an ocean- and atmosphere-optimized satellite lidar, and a vision for a multiplatform virtual constellation of observational assets that would enable a three-dimensional reconstruction of global ocean ecosystems.

  6. A New Framework for Quantifying Lidar Uncertainty

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, Jennifer, F.; Clifton, Andrew; Bonin, Timothy A.

    2017-03-24

    As wind turbine sizes increase and wind energy expands to more complex and remote sites, remote sensing devices such as lidars are expected to play a key role in wind resource assessment and power performance testing. The switch to remote sensing devices represents a paradigm shift in the way the wind industry typically obtains and interprets measurement data for wind energy. For example, the measurement techniques and sources of uncertainty for a remote sensing device are vastly different from those associated with a cup anemometer on a meteorological tower. Current IEC standards discuss uncertainty due to mounting, calibration, and classificationmore » of the remote sensing device, among other parameters. Values of the uncertainty are typically given as a function of the mean wind speed measured by a reference device. However, real-world experience has shown that lidar performance is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions, such as wind shear, turbulence, and aerosol content. At present, these conditions are not directly incorporated into the estimated uncertainty of a lidar device. In this presentation, we propose the development of a new lidar uncertainty framework that adapts to current flow conditions and more accurately represents the actual uncertainty inherent in lidar measurements under different conditions. In this new framework, sources of uncertainty are identified for estimation of the line-of-sight wind speed and reconstruction of the three-dimensional wind field. These sources are then related to physical processes caused by the atmosphere and lidar operating conditions. The framework is applied to lidar data from an operational wind farm to assess the ability of the framework to predict errors in lidar-measured wind speed.« less

  7. Atmospheric and meteorological Lidar: from pioneers to space applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flamant, Pierre H.

    2005-10-01

    The 'Light Detection and Ranging' technique, or Lidar, is a laser application to remote sensing. Lidar was in the laboratory stage in the 1960s and in less than 40 years it became a serious candidate for space applications at the turn of the 21st century. Over the years, the Lidar community made significant contributions to Lidar sciences and advancing the technique that makes Lidar an inevitable partner in geophysics and Earth observation. The French community, especially the Service d'Aéronomie and Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, have been involved since the beginning in the Lidar venture and made significant contribution. To cite this article: P.H. Flamant, C. R. Physique 6 (2005).

  8. Performances of a HGCDTE APD Based Detector with Electric Cooling for 2-μm DIAL/IPDA Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dumas, A.; Rothman, J.; Gibert, F.; Lasfargues, G.; Zanatta, J.-P.; Edouart, D.

    2016-06-01

    In this work we report on design and testing of an HgCdTe Avalanche Photodiode (APD) detector assembly for lidar applications in the Short Wavelength Infrared Region (SWIR : 1,5 - 2 μm). This detector consists in a set of diodes set in parallel -making a 200 μm large sensitive area- and connected to a custom high gain TransImpedance Amplifier (TIA). A commercial four stages Peltier cooler is used to reach an operating temperature of 185K. Crucial performances for lidar use are investigated : linearity, dynamic range, spatial homogeneity, noise and resistance to intense illumination.

  9. Infrared lidars for atmospheric remote sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menzies, Robert T.

    1991-01-01

    Lidars using pulsed TEA-CO2 transmitters and coherent receivers have been developed at JPL and used to measure atmospheric backscatter and extinction at wavelengths in the 9-11 micron region. The global winds measurement application of coherent Doppler lidar requires intensive study of the global climatology of aerosol and cloud backscatter and extinction. An airborne lidar was recently flown on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft for operation during two Pacific circumnavigation missions. The instrument characteristics, as well as representative measurement results, are discussed.

  10. Lidar Technology at the Goddard Laser and Electro-Optics Branch

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heaps, William S.; Obenschain, Arthur F. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Discovery-class orbiters now in the NASA planetary program. The purpose of the lidar is to continuously profile the water vapor and dust in the Mars atmosphere from orbit in order to quantify its dynamics, their relationship in the diurnal cycles, and to infer water vapor exchange with the Mars surface. To remotely measure the water-vapor height profiles, we will use the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique. We are also developing a laser sensor for measuring the total column content of CO2 in the atmosphere of the earth. CO2 is the principal greenhouse gas and has increased by roughly 80 ppm in the last century and a half. We will report our efforts in the development of the laser transmitter and photon counting detector components for a Mars Orbiting DIAL system and for the CO2 sounder.

  11. Lidar observations of the planetary boundary layer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Melfi, S. H.; Spinhirne, J. D.; Palm, S. P.

    1985-01-01

    The application of an airborne downward-looking lidar to the study of organized cellular convection in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) over the ocean is described. The lidar consisted of a frequency doubled Nd-YAG 530 mm-wavelength laser whose axis was aligned colinearly with the optical axis of an all-reflecting 40 mm-diameter Newtonian telescope. The airborne lidar provided a unique observation of both microscale and mesoscale variations of the PBL top. The lidar data, presented as constant backscatter isopleth soundings, provide a visual indication of the presence of vertically organized convection cells. Comparisons of the lidar-derived PBL structure with both a conceptual model of the PBL and laboratory simulations of Deardorf et al. (1980) of a developing convective PBL showed that the observations are consistent with a model of mixing in the PBL, which involves a field of organized updrafts separated by downdrafts.

  12. New ground-based lidar enables volcanic CO2 flux measurements.

    PubMed

    Aiuppa, Alessandro; Fiorani, Luca; Santoro, Simone; Parracino, Stefano; Nuvoli, Marcello; Chiodini, Giovanni; Minopoli, Carmine; Tamburello, Giancarlo

    2015-09-01

    There have been substantial advances in the ability to monitor the activity of hazardous volcanoes in recent decades. However, obtaining early warning of eruptions remains challenging, because the patterns and consequences of volcanic unrests are both complex and nonlinear. Measuring volcanic gases has long been a key aspect of volcano monitoring since these mobile fluids should reach the surface long before the magma. There has been considerable progress in methods for remote and in-situ gas sensing, but measuring the flux of volcanic CO2-the most reliable gas precursor to an eruption-has remained a challenge. Here we report on the first direct quantitative measurements of the volcanic CO2 flux using a newly designed differential absorption lidar (DIAL), which were performed at the restless Campi Flegrei volcano. We show that DIAL makes it possible to remotely obtain volcanic CO2 flux time series with a high temporal resolution (tens of minutes) and accuracy (<30%). The ability of this lidar to remotely sense volcanic CO2 represents a major step forward in volcano monitoring, and will contribute improved volcanic CO2 flux inventories. Our results also demonstrate the unusually strong degassing behavior of Campi Flegrei fumaroles in the current ongoing state of unrest.

  13. DESDynI Lidar for Solid Earth Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sauber, Jeanne; Hofton, Michelle; Bruhn, Ronald; Lutchke, Scott; Blair, Bryan

    2011-01-01

    As part of the NASA's DESDynI mission, global elevation profiles from contiguous 25 m footprint Lidar measurements will be made. Here we present results of a performance simulation of a single pass of the multi-beam Lidar instrument over uplifted marine terraces in southern Alaska. The significance of the Lidar simulations is that surface topography would be captured at sufficient resolution for mapping uplifted terraces features but it will be hard to discern I-2m topographic change over features less than tens of meters in width. Since Lidar would penetrate most vegetation, the accurate bald Earth elevation profiles will give new elevation information beyond the standard 30-m OEM.

  14. Impact of Lidar Wind Sounding on Mesoscale Forecast

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, Timothy L.; Chou, Shih-Hung; Goodman, H. Michael (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    An Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) was conducted to study the impact of airborne lidar wind sounding on mesoscale weather forecast. A wind retrieval scheme, which interpolates wind data from a grid data system, simulates the retrieval of wind profile from a satellite lidar system. A mesoscale forecast system based on the PSU/NCAR MM5 model is developed and incorporated the assimilation of the retrieved line-of-sight wind. To avoid the "identical twin" problem, the NCEP reanalysis data is used as our reference "nature" atmosphere. The simulated space-based lidar wind observations were retrieved by interpolating the NCEP values to the observation locations. A modified dataset obtained by smoothing the NCEP dataset was used as the initial state whose forecast was sought to be improved by assimilating the retrieved lidar observations. Forecasts using wind profiles with various lidar instrument parameters has been conducted. The results show that to significantly improve the mesoscale forecast the satellite should fly near the storm center with large scanning radius. Increasing lidar firing rate also improves the forecast. Cloud cover and lack of aerosol degrade the quality of the lidar wind data and, subsequently, the forecast.

  15. Aerosol properties computed from aircraft-based observations during the ACE- Asia campaign. 2; A case study of lidar ratio closure and aerosol radiative effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuzmanoski, Maja; Box, M. A.; Schmid, B.; Box, G. P.; Wang, J.; Russell, P. B.; Bates, D.; Jonsson, H. H.; Welton, Ellsworth J.; Flagan, R. C.

    2005-01-01

    For a vertical profile with three distinct layers (marine boundary, pollution and dust), observed during the ACE-Asia campaign, we carried out a comparison between the modeled lidar ratio vertical profile and that obtained from collocated airborne NASA AATS-14 sunphotometer and shipborne Micro-Pulse Lidar (MPL) measurements. Vertically resolved lidar ratio was calculated from two size distribution vertical profiles - one obtained by inversion of sunphotometer-derived extinction spectra, and one measured in-situ - combined with the same refractive index model based on aerosol chemical composition. The aerosol model implies single scattering albedos of 0.78 - 0.81 and 0.93 - 0.96 at 0.523 microns (the wavelength of the lidar measurements), in the pollution and dust layers, respectively. The lidar ratios calculated from the two size distribution profiles have close values in the dust layer; they are however, significantly lower than the lidar ratios derived from combined lidar and sunphotometer measurements, most probably due to the use of a simple nonspherical model with a single particle shape in our calculations. In the pollution layer, the two size distribution profiles yield generally different lidar ratios. The retrieved size distributions yield a lidar ratio which is in better agreement with that derived from lidar/sunphotometer measurements in this layer, with still large differences at certain altitudes (the largest relative difference was 46%). We explain these differences by non-uniqueness of the result of the size distribution retrieval and lack of information on vertical variability of particle refractive index. Radiative transfer calculations for this profile showed significant atmospheric radiative forcing, which occurred mainly in the pollution layer. We demonstrate that if the extinction profile is known then information on the vertical structure of absorption and asymmetry parameter is not significant for estimating forcing at TOA and the surface

  16. Effective resolution concepts for lidar observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iarlori, M.; Madonna, F.; Rizi, V.; Trickl, T.; Amodeo, A.

    2015-12-01

    Since its establishment in 2000, EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar NETwork) has provided, through its database, quantitative aerosol properties, such as aerosol backscatter and aerosol extinction coefficients, the latter only for stations able to retrieve it independently (from Raman or high-spectral-resolution lidars). These coefficients are stored in terms of vertical profiles, and the EARLINET database also includes the details of the range resolution of the vertical profiles. In fact, the algorithms used in the lidar data analysis often alter the spectral content of the data, mainly acting as low-pass filters to reduce the high-frequency noise. Data filtering is described by the digital signal processing (DSP) theory as a convolution sum: each filtered signal output at a given range is the result of a linear combination of several signal input data samples (relative to different ranges from the lidar receiver), and this could be seen as a loss of range resolution of the output signal. Low-pass filtering always introduces distortions in the lidar profile shape. Thus, both the removal of high frequency, i.e., the removal of details up to a certain spatial extension, and the spatial distortion produce a reduction of the range resolution. This paper discusses the determination of the effective resolution (ERes) of the vertical profiles of aerosol properties retrieved from lidar data. Large attention has been dedicated to providing an assessment of the impact of low-pass filtering on the effective range resolution in the retrieval procedure.

  17. 3D pulsed chaos lidar system.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Chih-Hao; Chen, Chih-Ying; Chen, Jun-Da; Pan, Da-Kung; Ting, Kai-Ting; Lin, Fan-Yi

    2018-04-30

    We develop an unprecedented 3D pulsed chaos lidar system for potential intelligent machinery applications. Benefited from the random nature of the chaos, conventional CW chaos lidars already possess excellent anti-jamming and anti-interference capabilities and have no range ambiguity. In our system, we further employ self-homodyning and time gating to generate a pulsed homodyned chaos to boost the energy-utilization efficiency. Compared to the original chaos, we show that the pulsed homodyned chaos improves the detection SNR by more than 20 dB. With a sampling rate of just 1.25 GS/s that has a native sampling spacing of 12 cm, we successfully achieve millimeter-level accuracy and precision in ranging. Compared with two commercial lidars tested side-by-side, namely the pulsed Spectroscan and the random-modulation continuous-wave Lidar-lite, the pulsed chaos lidar that is in compliance with the class-1 eye-safe regulation shows significantly better precision and a much longer detection range up to 100 m. Moreover, by employing a 2-axis MEMS mirror for active laser scanning, we also demonstrate real-time 3D imaging with errors of less than 4 mm in depth.

  18. Building damage assessment using airborne lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Axel, Colin; van Aardt, Jan

    2017-10-01

    The assessment of building damage following a natural disaster is a crucial step in determining the impact of the event itself and gauging reconstruction needs. Automatic methods for deriving damage maps from remotely sensed data are preferred, since they are regarded as being rapid and objective. We propose an algorithm for performing unsupervised building segmentation and damage assessment using airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) data. Local surface properties, including normal vectors and curvature, were used along with region growing to segment individual buildings in lidar point clouds. Damaged building candidates were identified based on rooftop inclination angle, and then damage was assessed using planarity and point height metrics. Validation of the building segmentation and damage assessment techniques were performed using airborne lidar data collected after the Haiti earthquake of 2010. Building segmentation and damage assessment accuracies of 93.8% and 78.9%, respectively, were obtained using lidar point clouds and expert damage assessments of 1953 buildings in heavily damaged regions. We believe this research presents an indication of the utility of airborne lidar remote sensing for increasing the efficiency and speed at which emergency response operations are performed.

  19. High-Fidelity Flash Lidar Model Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hines, Glenn D.; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Amzajerdian, Farzin

    2014-01-01

    NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technologies (ALHAT) project is currently developing the critical technologies to safely and precisely navigate and land crew, cargo and robotic spacecraft vehicles on and around planetary bodies. One key element of this project is a high-fidelity Flash Lidar sensor that can generate three-dimensional (3-D) images of the planetary surface. These images are processed with hazard detection and avoidance and hazard relative navigation algorithms, and then are subsequently used by the Guidance, Navigation and Control subsystem to generate an optimal navigation solution. A complex, high-fidelity model of the Flash Lidar was developed in order to evaluate the performance of the sensor and its interaction with the interfacing ALHAT components on vehicles with different configurations and under different flight trajectories. The model contains a parameterized, general approach to Flash Lidar detection and reflects physical attributes such as range and electronic noise sources, and laser pulse temporal and spatial profiles. It also provides the realistic interaction of the laser pulse with terrain features that include varying albedo, boulders, craters slopes and shadows. This paper gives a description of the Flash Lidar model and presents results from the Lidar operating under different scenarios.

  20. Shuttle atmospheric lidar research program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1979-01-01

    The Shuttle atmospheric lidar program is discussed in relation to an understanding of the processes governing the Earth's atmosphere and in the capacity to evaluate the atmospheric susceptibility to manmade and natural perturbations. Applications of the lidar which are discussed are the determination of the global flow of water vapor and pollutants in the troposphere, improvement of chemical and transport models of the stratosphere and mesosphere, evaluation of radiative models of the atmosphere, investigation of chemistry and transport of thermospheric atomic species, and investigation of magnetospheric aspects of sun/weather relationships. The features of the lidar measurements discussed are the high spatial resolution, control of the source wavelength and intensity, and high measurement specificity.

  1. Clear-air lidar dark band

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Di Girolamo, Paolo; Scoccione, Andrea; Cacciani, Marco; Summa, Donato; De Rosa, Benedetto; Schween, Jan H.

    2018-04-01

    This paper illustrates measurements carried out by the Raman lidar BASIL in the frame of the HD(CP)2 Observational Prototype Experiment (HOPE), revealing the presence of a clear-air dark band phenomenon (i.e. a minimum in lidar backscatter echoes) in the upper portion of the convective boundary layer. The phenomenon is clearly distinguishable in the lidar backscatter echoes at 532 and 1064 nm, as well as in the particle depolarisation data. This phenomenon is attributed to the presence of lignite aerosol particles advected from the surrounding open pit mines in the vicinity of the measuring site. The paper provides evidence of the phenomenon and illustrates possible interpretations for its occurrence.

  2. Turbulent CO2 Flux Measurements by Lidar: Length Scales, Results and Comparison with In-Situ Sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gilbert, Fabien; Koch, Grady J.; Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; Hilton, Timothy W.; Davis, Kenneth J.; Andrews, Arlyn; Ismail, Syed; Singh, Upendra N.

    2009-01-01

    The vertical CO2 flux in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is investigated with a Doppler differential absorption lidar (DIAL). The instrument was operated next to the WLEF instrumented tall tower in Park Falls, Wisconsin during three days and nights in June 2007. Profiles of turbulent CO2 mixing ratio and vertical velocity fluctuations are measured by in-situ sensors and Doppler DIAL. Time and space scales of turbulence are precisely defined in the ABL. The eddy-covariance method is applied to calculate turbulent CO2 flux both by lidar and in-situ sensors. We show preliminary mean lidar CO2 flux measurements in the ABL with a time and space resolution of 6 h and 1500 m respectively. The flux instrumental errors decrease linearly with the standard deviation of the CO2 data, as expected. Although turbulent fluctuations of CO2 are negligible with respect to the mean (0.1 %), we show that the eddy-covariance method can provide 2-h, 150-m range resolved CO2 flux estimates as long as the CO2 mixing ratio instrumental error is no greater than 10 ppm and the vertical velocity error is lower than the natural fluctuations over a time resolution of 10 s.

  3. Role of Lidar Technology in Future NASA Space Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amzajerdian, Farzin

    2008-01-01

    The past success of lidar instruments in space combined with potentials of laser remote sensing techniques in improving measurements traditionally performed by other instrument technologies and in enabling new measurements have expanded the role of lidar technology in future NASA missions. Compared with passive optical and active radar/microwave instruments, lidar systems produce substantially more accurate and precise data without reliance on natural light sources and with much greater spatial resolution. NASA pursues lidar technology not only as science instruments, providing atmospherics and surface topography data of Earth and other solar system bodies, but also as viable guidance and navigation sensors for space vehicles. This paper summarizes the current NASA lidar missions and describes the lidar systems being considered for deployment in space in the near future.

  4. Temporal correlation measurements of pulsed dual CO2 lidar returns. [for atmospheric pollution detection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menyuk, N.; Killinger, D. K.

    1981-01-01

    A pulsed dual-laser direct-detection differential-absorption lidar DIAL system, operating near 10.6 microns, is used to measure the temporal correlation and statistical properties of backscattered returns from specular and diffuse topographic targets. Results show that atmospheric-turbulence fluctuations can effectively be frozen for pulse separation times on the order of 1-3 msec or less. The diffuse target returns, however, yielded a much lower correlation than that obtained with the specular targets; this being due to uncorrelated system noise effects and different statistics for the two types of target returns.

  5. New Examination of the Raman Lidar Technique for Water Vapor and Aerosols. Paper 1; Evaluating the Temperature Dependent Lidar Equations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whiteman, David N.

    2003-01-01

    The intent of this paper and its companion is to compile together the essential information required for the analysis of Raman lidar water vapor and aerosol data acquired using a single laser wavelength. In this first paper several details concerning the evaluation of the lidar equation when measuring Raman scattering are considered. These details include the influence of the temperature dependence of both pure rotational and vibrational-rotational Raman scattering on the lidar profile. These are evaluated for the first time using a new form of the lidar equation. The results indicate that, for the range of temperatures encountered in the troposphere, the magnitude of the temperature dependent effect can reach 10% or more for narrowband Raman water vapor measurements. Also the calculation of atmospheric transmission is examined carefully including the effects of depolarization. Different formulations of Rayleigh cross section determination commonly used in the lidar field are compared revealing differences up to 5% among the formulations. The influence of multiple scattering on the measurement of aerosol extinction using the Raman lidar technique is considered as are several photon pulse-pileup correction techniques.

  6. LiDAR - An emerging tool for geological applications

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stoker, Jason M.

    2012-01-01

    Over the past five to ten years the use and applicability of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology has increased dramatically. As a result, more and more LiDAR data now are being collected across the country for a wide range of applications, and LiDAR currently is the technology of choice for high resolution terrain model creation, 3-D city and infrastructure modeling, forestry, and a wide range of scientific applications. LiDAR is a key technology for geological applications both within and outside the U.S. Geological Survey, and efforts are underway to try to collect high resolution LiDAR data for the entire United States (https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3089/pdf/fs2012-3089.pdf).

  7. Lidar backscattering measurements of background stratospheric aerosols

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Remsberg, E. E.; Northam, G. B.; Butler, C. F.

    1979-01-01

    A comparative lidar-dustsonde experiment was conducted in San Angelo, Texas, in May 1974 in order to estimate the uncertainties in stratospheric-aerosol backscatter for the NASA Langley 48-inch lidar system. The lidar calibration and data-analysis procedures are discussed. Results from the Texas experiment indicate random and systematic uncertainties of 35 and 63 percent, respectively, in backscatter from a background stratospheric-aerosol layer at 20 km.

  8. Status of Laser/Lidar Working Group Requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kavaya, Michael J.; Gentry, Bruce M.

    2006-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation reviews the status of the development of the requirements by the Laser/Lidar working group. Included in the presentation is another viewgraph report on the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Laser/Lidar working group, by the chairperson of the working group. Some of the uses of Laser and Lidar in earth sciences are reviewed and a roadmap for the future use of the technology is included.

  9. Ground-based lidar measurements of stratospheric ozone. The NASA/GSFC stratospheric ozone lidar trailer experiment STROZ LITE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcgee, Thomas J.; Butler, James; Burris, John; Heaps, William S.

    1990-01-01

    The major research objective is the measurement of high precision vertical profiles of ozone between 20-40 kilometers. The precision is such that the instrument should be capable of detecting a small trend (on the order of less that 1 percent per year) over a 5-10 year period. Temperature was measured between 30 and 365 km. The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) mobile lidar was installed at Table Mountain and a comparison between it and the permanent Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) lidar was made over the course of about 3 weeks. The lidars agreed very well between 20 and 40 km, and under certain conditions up to 45-47 km. There were several anomalies that both lidars followed very well. Agreement with Rocket Ozonesonde (ROCOZ) and electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) sondes was also very good.

  10. Lidar investigations of ozone in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere: technique and results of measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romanovskii, Oleg A.; Nevzorov, Alexey A.; Nevzorov, Alexey V.; Kharchenko, Olga V.

    2018-04-01

    The main aim of the research is to develop the technique for laser remote ozone sensing in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere by differential absorption method for temperature and aerosol correction and analysis of measurement results. The authors have determined wavelengths, promising to measure ozone profiles in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere. We present the results of DIAL measurements of the vertical ozone distribution at the Siberian lidar station in Tomsk. The recovered ozone profiles were compared with IASI satellite data and Kruger model.

  11. Lidar on small UAV for 3D mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tulldahl, H. Michael; Larsson, Hâkan

    2014-10-01

    Small UAV:s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are currently in an explosive technical development phase. The performance of UAV-system components such as inertial navigation sensors, propulsion, control processors and algorithms are gradually improving. Simultaneously, lidar technologies are continuously developing in terms of reliability, accuracy, as well as speed of data collection, storage and processing. The lidar development towards miniature systems with high data rates has, together with recent UAV development, a great potential for new three dimensional (3D) mapping capabilities. Compared to lidar mapping from manned full-size aircraft a small unmanned aircraft can be cost efficient over small areas and more flexible for deployment. An advantage with high resolution lidar compared to 3D mapping from passive (multi angle) photogrammetry is the ability to penetrate through vegetation and detect partially obscured targets. Another advantage is the ability to obtain 3D data over the whole survey area, without the limited performance of passive photogrammetry in low contrast areas. The purpose of our work is to demonstrate 3D lidar mapping capability from a small multirotor UAV. We present the first experimental results and the mechanical and electrical integration of the Velodyne HDL-32E lidar on a six-rotor aircraft with a total weight of 7 kg. The rotating lidar is mounted at an angle of 20 degrees from the horizontal plane giving a vertical field-of-view of 10-50 degrees below the horizon in the aircraft forward directions. For absolute positioning of the 3D data, accurate positioning and orientation of the lidar sensor is of high importance. We evaluate the lidar data position accuracy both based on inertial navigation system (INS) data, and on INS data combined with lidar data. The INS sensors consist of accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS, magnetometers, and a pressure sensor for altimetry. The lidar range resolution and accuracy is documented as well as the

  12. Optimizing Lidar Scanning Strategies for Wind Energy Measurements (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newman, J. F.; Bonin, T. A.; Klein, P.; Wharton, S.; Chilson, P. B.

    2013-12-01

    Environmental concerns and rising fossil fuel prices have prompted rapid development in the renewable energy sector. Wind energy, in particular, has become increasingly popular in the United States. However, the intermittency of available wind energy makes it difficult to integrate wind energy into the power grid. Thus, the expansion and successful implementation of wind energy requires accurate wind resource assessments and wind power forecasts. The actual power produced by a turbine is affected by the wind speeds and turbulence levels experienced across the turbine rotor disk. Because of the range of measurement heights required for wind power estimation, remote sensing devices (e.g., lidar) are ideally suited for these purposes. However, the volume averaging inherent in remote sensing technology produces turbulence estimates that are different from those estimated by a sonic anemometer mounted on a standard meteorological tower. In addition, most lidars intended for wind energy purposes utilize a standard Doppler beam-swinging or Velocity-Azimuth Display technique to estimate the three-dimensional wind vector. These scanning strategies are ideal for measuring mean wind speeds but are likely inadequate for measuring turbulence. In order to examine the impact of different lidar scanning strategies on turbulence measurements, a WindCube lidar, a scanning Halo lidar, and a scanning Galion lidar were deployed at the Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site in Summer 2013. Existing instrumentation at the ARM site, including a 60-m meteorological tower and an additional scanning Halo lidar, were used in conjunction with the deployed lidars to evaluate several user-defined scanning strategies. For part of the experiment, all three scanning lidars were pointed at approximately the same point in space and a tri-Doppler analysis was completed to calculate the three-dimensional wind vector every 1 second. In another part of the experiment, one of

  13. Coherent Doppler lidar for measurements of wind fields

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menzies, Robert T.; Hardesty, R. Michael

    1989-01-01

    The signal-processing techniques for obtaining the velocity estimates and the fundamental factors that influence coherent lidar performance are considered. The similarities and distinctions between Doppler lidar and Doppler radars are discussed. The capability of coherent Doppler lidars for mapping wind fields over selected regions in the lower atmosphere and greatly enhancing the capability to visualize flow patterns in real time is discussed, and examples are given. Salient features of a concept for an earth-orbiting Doppler lidar to be launched in the late 1990s are examined.

  14. Infrastructure Investment Protection with LiDAR

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-10-15

    The primary goal of this research effort was to explore the wide variety of uses of LiDAR technology and to evaluate their : applicability to NCDOT practices. NCDOT can use this information about LiDAR in determining how and when the : technology can...

  15. LiDAR for Air Quality Measurements

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-02-02

    The overall goal of this research is to investigate a unique light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology for ambient air quality measurement of particulate matter. The ODU team has recently received a state-of-the-art elastic LiDAR from NASA Langl...

  16. Lidar-based mapping of flood control levees in south Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thatcher, Cindy A.; Lim, Samsung; Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Monica; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Kimbrow, Dustin R.

    2016-01-01

    Flood protection in south Louisiana is largely dependent on earthen levees, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina the state’s levee system has received intense scrutiny. Accurate elevation data along the levees are critical to local levee district managers responsible for monitoring and maintaining the extensive system of non-federal levees in coastal Louisiana. In 2012, high resolution airborne lidar data were acquired over levees in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, and a mobile terrestrial lidar survey was conducted for selected levee segments using a terrestrial lidar scanner mounted on a truck. The mobile terrestrial lidar data were collected to test the feasibility of using this relatively new technology to map flood control levees and to compare the accuracy of the terrestrial and airborne lidar. Metrics assessing levee geometry derived from the two lidar surveys are also presented as an efficient, comprehensive method to quantify levee height and stability. The vertical root mean square error values of the terrestrial lidar and airborne lidar digital-derived digital terrain models were 0.038 m and 0.055 m, respectively. The comparison of levee metrics derived from the airborne and terrestrial lidar-based digital terrain models showed that both types of lidar yielded similar results, indicating that either or both surveying techniques could be used to monitor geomorphic change over time. Because airborne lidar is costly, many parts of the USA and other countries have never been mapped with airborne lidar, and repeat surveys are often not available for change detection studies. Terrestrial lidar provides a practical option for conducting repeat surveys of levees and other terrain features that cover a relatively small area, such as eroding cliffs or stream banks, and dunes.

  17. Telescope aperture optimization for spacebased coherent wind lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, Xian-ying; Zhu, Jun; Cao, Qipeng; Zhang, Yinchao; Yin, Huan; Dong, Xiaojing; Wang, Chao; Zhang, Yongchao; Zhang, Ning

    2015-08-01

    Many studies have indicated that the optimum measurement approach for winds from space is a pulsed coherent wind lidar, which is an active remote sensing tool with the characteristics that high spatial and temporal resolutions, real-time detection, high mobility, facilitated control and so on. Because of the significant eye safety, efficiency, size, and lifetime advantage, 2μm wavelength solid-state laser lidar systems have attracted much attention in spacebased wind lidar plans. In this paper, the theory of coherent detection is presented and a 2μm wavelength solid-state laser lidar system is introduced, then the ideal aperture is calculated from signal-to-noise(SNR) view at orbit 400km. However, considering real application, even if the lidar hardware is perfectly aligned, the directional jitter of laser beam, the attitude change of the lidar in the long round trip time of the light from the atmosphere and other factors can bring misalignment angle. So the influence of misalignment angle is considered and calculated, and the optimum telescope diameter(0.45m) is obtained as the misalignment angle is 4 μrad. By the analysis of the optimum aperture required for spacebased coherent wind lidar system, we try to present the design guidance for the telescope.

  18. Applications of KHZ-CW Lidar in Ecological Entomology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malmqvist, Elin; Brydegaard, Mikkel

    2016-06-01

    The benefits of kHz lidar in ecological entomology are explained. Results from kHz-measurements on insects, carried out with a CW-lidar system, employing the Scheimpflug principle to obtain range resolution, are presented. A method to extract insect events and analyze the large amount of lidar data is also described.

  19. Optical Parametric Technology for Methane Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dawsey, Martha; Numata, Kenji; Wu, Stewart; Riris, Haris

    2015-01-01

    Atmospheric methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, with approximately 25 times the radiative forcing of carbon dioxide (CO2) per molecule. Yet, lack of understanding of the processes that control CH4 sources and sinks and its potential release from stored carbon reservoirs contributes significant uncertainty to our knowledge of the interaction between carbon cycle and climate change. At Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) we have been developing the technology needed to remotely measure CH4 from orbit. Our concept for a CH4 lidar is a nadir viewing instrument that uses the strong laser echoes from the Earth's surface to measure CH4. The instrument uses a tunable, narrow-frequency light source and photon-sensitive detector to make continuous measurements from orbit, in sunlight and darkness, at all latitudes and can be relatively immune to errors introduced by scattering from clouds and aerosols. Our measurement technique uses Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA), which measures the absorption of laser pulses by a trace gas when tuned to a wavelength coincident with an absorption line. We have already demonstrated ground-based and airborne CH4 detection using Optical Parametric Amplifiers (OPA) at 1651 nm using a laser with approximately 10 microJ/pulse at 5kHz with a narrow linewidth. Next, we will upgrade our OPO system to add several more wavelengths in preparation for our September 2015 airborne campaign, and expect that these upgrades will enable CH4 measurements with 1% precision (10-20 ppb).

  20. INTERACT-II campaign:comparison of commercial lidars and ceilometers with advanced multi-wavelength Raman lidars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosoldi, Marco; Madonna, Fabio; Pappalardo, Gelsomina; Vande Hey, Joshua; Zheng, Yunhui; Vaisala Team

    2017-04-01

    Knowledge of aerosol spatio-temporal distribution in troposphere is essential for the study of climate and air quality. For this purpose, global scale high resolution continuous measurements of tropospheric aerosols are needed. Global coverage high resolution networks of ground-based low-cost and low-maintenance remote sensing instruments, such as commercial automatic lidars and ceilometers, can strongly contribute to this scientific mission. Therefore, it is very interesting for scientific community to understand to which extent these instruments are able to provide reliable aerosol measurements and fill in the geographical gaps of existing networks of the advanced lidars, like EARLINET (European Aerosol Research LIdar NETwork). The INTERACT-II (INTERcomparison of Aerosol and Cloud Tracking) campaign, carried out at CIAO (CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory) in Tito Scalo, Potenza, Italy (760m a.s.l., 40.60°N, 15.72°E), aims to evaluate the performances of commercial automatic lidars and ceilometers for tropospheric aerosol profiling. The campaign has been performed in the period from July 2016 to January 2017 in the framework of ACTRIS-2 (Aerosol Clouds Trace gases Research InfraStructure) H2020 research infrastructure project. Besides the commercial ceilometers operational at CIAO (VAISALA CT25K and Luftt CHM15k), the performance of a CL51 VAISALA ceilometer, a Campbell CS135 ceilometer and a mini-Micro Pulse Lidar (MPL) have been assessed using the EARLINET multi-wavelengths Raman lidars operative at CIAO as reference. Following a similar approach used in the first INTERACT campaign (Madonna et al., AMT 2015), attenuated backscatter coefficient profiles and signals obtained from all the instruments have been compared, over a vertical resolution of 60 meters and a temporal integration ranging between 1 and 2 hours, depending on the observed atmospheric scenario. CIAO lidars signals have been processed using the EARLINET Single Calculus Chain (SCC) also with the

  1. Ozone Lidar Observations for Air Quality Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Lihua; Newchurch, Mike; Kuang, Shi; Burris, John F.; Huang, Guanyu; Pour-Biazar, Arastoo; Koshak, William; Follette-Cook, Melanie B.; Pickering, Kenneth E.; McGee, Thomas J.; hide

    2015-01-01

    Tropospheric ozone lidars are well suited to measuring the high spatio-temporal variability of this important trace gas. Furthermore, lidar measurements in conjunction with balloon soundings, aircraft, and satellite observations provide substantial information about a variety of atmospheric chemical and physical processes. Examples of processes elucidated by ozone-lidar measurements are presented, and modeling studies using WRF-Chem, RAQMS, and DALES/LES models illustrate our current understanding and shortcomings of these processes.

  2. LIDAR Remote Sensing of Particulate Matter Emissions from On-Road Vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keislar, R. E.; Kuhns, H.; Mazzoleni, C.; Moosmuller, H.; Watson, J.

    2002-12-01

    DRI has developed a remote sensing method for on-road particulate matter emissions from gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles called the Vehicle Emissions Remote Sensing System (VERSS). Remote sensing of gaseous pollutants in vehicle exhaust is a well-established, economical way to determine on-road emissions for thousands of vehicles per day. The VERSS adds a particulate matter channel to complement gaseous pollutant measurements. The VERSS uses 266-nm ultraviolet laser light to achieve greater sensitivity than visible light to sub-micrometer particles, where the greatest mass fraction has been reported. The VERSS system integrates the lidar channel with a commercial remote sensing device (RSD) for gaseous pollutants, and the RSD CO2 measurement can be used to estimate fuel-based particle mass emissions. We describe the interpretation and processing of lidar returns from field measurements taken by the combined VERSS during the Southern Nevada Air Quality Study (SNAQS), conducted in the Las Vegas area. With suitable assumptions regarding size distribution and particle composition, the lidar backscatter signal and the RSD yield three basic measurements of particulate matter in the exhaust plume. For each passing vehicle, these three channels are: 1) Columnar extinction in the infrared (IR at 3.9 micrometers) 2) Columnar extinction in the ultraviolet (UV at 266 nm) 3) Range-resolved backscatter at 266 nm (horizontal spatial resolution of 20-25 cm) The 3.9-micrometer channel is a good surrogate for absorption by elemental carbon (EC) in tailpipe emissions and has been utilized in previous studies. Opacity measurements at 266 nm provide optical extinction due to scattering from tailpipe organic carbon (OC) and EC emissions.

  3. Holographic Airborne Rotating Lidar Instrument Experiment (HARLIE)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwemmer, Geary K.

    1998-01-01

    Scanning holographic lidar receivers are currently in use in two operational lidar systems, PHASERS (Prototype Holographic Atmospheric Scanner for Environmental Remote Sensing) and now HARLIE (Holographic Airborne Rotating Lidar Instrument Experiment). These systems are based on volume phase holograms made in dichromated gelatin (DCG) sandwiched between 2 layers of high quality float glass. They have demonstrated the practical application of this technology to compact scanning lidar systems at 532 and 1064 nm wavelengths, the ability to withstand moderately high laser power and energy loading, sufficient optical quality for most direct detection systems, overall efficiencies rivaling conventional receivers, and the stability to last several years under typical lidar system environments. Their size and weight are approximately half of similar performing scanning systems using reflective optics. The cost of holographic systems will eventually be lower than the reflective optical systems depending on their degree of commercialization. There are a number of applications that require or can greatly benefit from a scanning capability. Several of these are airborne systems, which either use focal plane scanning, as in the Laser Vegetation Imaging System or use primary aperture scanning, as in the Airborne Oceanographic Lidar or the Large Aperture Scanning Airborne Lidar. The latter class requires a large clear aperture opening or window in the aircraft. This type of system can greatly benefit from the use of scanning transmission holograms of the HARLIE type because the clear aperture required is only about 25% larger than the collecting aperture as opposed to 200-300% larger for scan angles of 45 degrees off nadir.

  4. Software design of control system of CCD side-scatter lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuang, Zhiqiang; Liu, Dong; Deng, Qian; Zhang, Zhanye; Wang, Zhenzhu; Yu, Siqi; Tao, Zongming; Xie, Chenbo; Wang, Yingjian

    2018-03-01

    Because of the existence of blind zone and transition zone, the application of backscattering lidar in near-ground is limited. The side-scatter lidar equipped with the Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) can separate the transmitting and receiving devices to avoid the impact of the geometric factors which is exited in the backscattering lidar and, detect the more precise near-ground aerosol signals continuously. Theories of CCD side-scatter lidar and the design of control system are introduced. The visible control of laser and CCD and automatic data processing method of the side-scatter lidar are developed by using the software of Visual C #. The results which are compared with the calibration of the atmospheric aerosol lidar data show that signals from the CCD side- scatter lidar are convincible.

  5. An Aerosol Extinction-to-Backscatter Ratio Database Derived from the NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network: Applications for Space-based Lidar Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Welton, Ellsworth J.; Campbell, James R.; Spinhime, James D.; Berkoff, Timothy A.; Holben, Brent; Tsay, Si-Chee; Bucholtz, Anthony

    2004-01-01

    Backscatter lidar signals are a function of both backscatter and extinction. Hence, these lidar observations alone cannot separate the two quantities. The aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio, S, is the key parameter required to accurately retrieve extinction and optical depth from backscatter lidar observations of aerosol layers. S is commonly defined as 4*pi divided by the product of the single scatter albedo and the phase function at 180-degree scattering angle. Values of S for different aerosol types are not well known, and are even more difficult to determine when aerosols become mixed. Here we present a new lidar-sunphotometer S database derived from Observations of the NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET). MPLNET is a growing worldwide network of eye-safe backscatter lidars co-located with sunphotometers in the NASA Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). Values of S for different aerosol species and geographic regions will be presented. A framework for constructing an S look-up table will be shown. Look-up tables of S are needed to calculate aerosol extinction and optical depth from space-based lidar observations in the absence of co-located AOD data. Applications for using the new S look-up table to reprocess aerosol products from NASA's Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) will be discussed.

  6. Compact high-speed scanning lidar system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dickinson, Cameron; Hussein, Marwan; Tripp, Jeff; Nimelman, Manny; Koujelev, Alexander

    2012-06-01

    The compact High Speed Scanning Lidar (HSSL) was designed to meet the requirements for a rover GN&C sensor. The eye-safe HSSL's fast scanning speed, low volume and low power, make it the ideal choice for a variety of real-time and non-real-time applications including: 3D Mapping; Vehicle guidance and Navigation; Obstacle Detection; Orbiter Rendezvous; Spacecraft Landing / Hazard Avoidance. The HSSL comprises two main hardware units: Sensor Head and Control Unit. In a rover application, the Sensor Head mounts on the top of the rover while the Control Unit can be mounted on the rover deck or within its avionics bay. An Operator Computer is used to command the lidar and immediately display the acquired scan data. The innovative lidar design concept was a result of an extensive trade study conducted during the initial phase of an exploration rover program. The lidar utilizes an innovative scanner coupled with a compact fiber laser and high-speed timing electronics. Compared to existing compact lidar systems, distinguishing features of the HSSL include its high accuracy, high resolution, high refresh rate and large field of view. Other benefits of this design include the capability to quickly configure scan settings to fit various operational modes.

  7. Calibration Technique for Polarization-Sensitive Lidars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alvarez, J. M.; Vaughan, M. A.; Hostetler, C. A.; Hung, W. H.; Winker, D. M.

    2006-01-01

    Polarization-sensitive lidars have proven to be highly effective in discriminating between spherical and non-spherical particles in the atmosphere. These lidars use a linearly polarized laser and are equipped with a receiver that can separately measure the components of the return signal polarized parallel and perpendicular to the outgoing beam. In this work we describe a technique for calibrating polarization-sensitive lidars that was originally developed at NASA s Langley Research Center (LaRC) and has been used continually over the past fifteen years. The procedure uses a rotatable half-wave plate inserted into the optical path of the lidar receiver to introduce controlled amounts of polarization cross-talk into a sequence of atmospheric backscatter measurements. Solving the resulting system of nonlinear equations generates the system calibration constants (gain ratio, G, and offset angle, theta) required for deriving calibrated measurements of depolarization ratio from the lidar signals. In addition, this procedure also determines the mean depolarization ratio within the region of the atmosphere that is analyzed. Simulations and error propagation studies show the method to be both reliable and well behaved. Operational details of the technique are illustrated using measurements obtained as part of Langley Research Center s participation in the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE).

  8. A tunable hole-burning filter for lidar applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Billmers, R. I.; Davis, J.; Squicciarini, M.

    The fundamental physical principles for the development of a 'hole-burning' optical filter based on saturable absorption in dye-doped glasses are outlined. A model was developed to calculate the required pump intensity, throughput, and linewidth for this type of filter. Rhodamine 6G, operating at 532 nm, was found to require a 'warm-up' time of 110 pulses and a pump intensity of 100 kW/sq cm per pulse. The linewidth was calculated to be approximately 15 GHz at 77 K with a throughput of at least 25 percent and five orders of magnitude noise suppression. A 'hole-burning' filter offers significant advantages over current filter technology, including tunability over a 10-nm bandwidth, perfect wavelength and bandwidth matching to the transmitting laser in a pulsed lidar system, transform limited response times, and moderately high throughputs (at least 25 percent).

  9. Lidar Measurements of Tropospheric Ozone in the Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seabrook, Jeffrey; Whiteway, James

    2016-06-01

    This paper reports on differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements of tropospheric ozone in the Canadian Arctic during springtime. Measurements at Eureka Weather Station revealed that mountains have a significant effect on the vertical structure of ozone above Ellesmere Island. Ozone depletion events were observed when air that had spent significant time near to the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean reached Eureka. This air arrived at Eureka by flowing over the surrounding mountains. Surface level ozone depletions were not observed during periods when the flow of air from over the sea ice was blocked by mountains. In the case of blocking there was an enhancement in the amount of ozone near the surface as air from the mid troposphere descended in the lee of the mountains. Three case studies will be shown in the presentation, while one is described in this paper.

  10. Development of Laser, Detector, and Receiver Systems for an Atmospheric CO2 Lidar Profiling System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ismail, Syed; Koch, Grady; Abedin, Nurul; Refaat, Tamer; Rubio, Manuel; Singh, Upendra

    2008-01-01

    A ground-based Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) is being developed with the capability to measure range-resolved and column amounts of atmospheric CO2. This system is also capable of providing high-resolution aerosol profiles and cloud distributions. It is being developed as part of the NASA Earth Science Technology Office s Instrument Incubator Program. This three year program involves the design, development, evaluation, and fielding of a ground-based CO2 profiling system. At the end of a three-year development this instrument is expected to be capable of making measurements in the lower troposphere and boundary layer where the sources and sinks of CO2 are located. It will be a valuable tool in the validation of NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) measurements of column CO2 and suitable for deployment in the North American Carbon Program (NACP) regional intensive field campaigns. The system can also be used as a test-bed for the evaluation of lidar technologies for space-application. This DIAL system leverages 2-micron laser technology developed under a number of NASA programs to develop new solid-state laser technology that provides high pulse energy, tunable, wavelength-stabilized, and double-pulsed lasers that are operable over pre-selected temperature insensitive strong CO2 absorption lines suitable for profiling of lower tropospheric CO2. It also incorporates new high quantum efficiency, high gain, and relatively low noise phototransistors, and a new receiver/signal processor system to achieve high precision DIAL measurements.

  11. Shipborne LiDAR system for coastal change monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, chang hwan; Park, chang hong; Kim, hyun wook; hyuck Kim, won; Lee, myoung hoon; Park, hyeon yeong

    2016-04-01

    Coastal areas, used as human utilization areas like leisure space, medical care, ports and power plants, etc., are regions that are continuously changing and interconnected with oceans and land and the sea level has risen by about 8cm (1.9mm / yr) due to global warming from 1964 year to 2006 year in Korea. Coastal erosion due to sea-level rise has caused the problem of marine ecosystems and loss of tourism resources, etc. Regular monitoring of coastal erosion is essential at key locations with such volatility. But the survey method of land mobile LiDAR (light detection and ranging) system has much time consuming and many restrictions. For effective monitoring beach erosion, KIOST (Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology) has constructed a shipborne mobile LiDAR system. The shipborne mobile LiDAR system comprised a land mobile LiDAR (RIEGL LMS-420i), an INS (inertial navigation system, MAGUS Inertial+), a RTKGPS (LEICA GS15 GS25), and a fixed platform. The shipborne mobile LiDAR system is much more effective than a land mobile LiDAR system in the measuring of fore shore areas without shadow zone. Because the vessel with the shipborne mobile LiDAR system is continuously moved along the shoreline, it is possible to efficiently survey a large area in a relatively short time. Effective monitoring of the changes using the constructed shipborne mobile LiDAR system for seriously eroded coastal areas will be able to contribute to coastal erosion management and response.

  12. Boundary Layer Observations of Water Vapor and Aerosol Profiles with an Eye-Safe Micro-Pulse Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nehrir, A. R.; Repasky, K. S.; Carlsten, J.; Ismail, S.

    2011-12-01

    Measurements of real-time high spatial and temporal resolution profiles of combined water vapor and aerosols in the boundary layer have been a long standing observational challenge to the meteorological, weather forecasting, and climate science communities. To overcome the high reoccurring costs associated with radiosondes as well as the lack of sufficient water vapor measurements over the continental united states, a compact and low cost eye-safe all semiconductor-based micro-pulse differential absorption lidar (DIAL) has been developed for water vapor and aerosol profiling in the lower troposphere. The laser transmitter utilizes two continuous wave external cavity diode lasers operating in the 830 nm absorption band as the online and offline seed laser sources. An optical switch is used to sequentially injection seed a tapered semiconductor optical amplifier (TSOA) with the two seed laser sources in a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration. The TSOA is actively current pulsed to produce up to 7 μJ of output energy over a 1 μs pulse duration (150 m vertical resolution) at a 10 kHz pulse repetition frequency. The measured laser transmitter spectral linewidth is less than 500 kHz while the long term frequency stability of the stabilized on-line wavelength is ± 55 MHz. The laser transmitter spectral purity was measured to be greater than 0.9996, allowing for simultaneous measurements of water vapor in the lower and upper troposphere. The DIAL receiver utilizes a commercially available full sky-scanning capable 35 cm Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to collect the scattered light from the laser transmitter. Light collected by the telescope is spectrally filtered to suppress background noise and is coupled into a fiber optic cable which acts as the system field stop and limits the full angle field of view to 140 μrad. The light is sampled by a fiber coupled APD operated in a Geiger mode. The DIAL instrument is operated autonomously where water vapor and

  13. A portable lidar using a diode-pumped YAG laser

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Takeuchi, N.; Okumura, H.; Sugita, T.; Matsumoto, H.; Yamaguchi, S.

    1992-01-01

    A Mie lidar system is technically established and is used for monitoring air pollution, stratospheric and boundary layer aerosol distribution, plume dispersion, visibility, and the study of atmospheric structure and cloud physics. However, a lidar system is not widely used because of its cumbersome handling and unwieldy portability. Although the author developed a laser diode lidar system based on RM-CW technique, it has a limit of measurement distance. Here we report the development of an all solid Mie lidar system using a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser and a Si-APD detector. This was constructed as a prototype of a handy lidar system.

  14. Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) From Space - Laser Altimeters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sun, Xiaoli

    2016-01-01

    Light detection and ranging, or lidar, is like radar but atoptical wavelengths. The principle of operation and theirapplications in remote sensing are similar. Lidars havemany advantages over radars in instrument designs andapplications because of the much shorter laser wavelengthsand narrower beams. The lidar transmitters and receiveroptics are much smaller than radar antenna dishes. Thespatial resolution of lidar measurement is much finer thanthat of radar because of the much smaller footprint size onground. Lidar measurements usually give a better temporalresolution because the laser pulses can be much narrowerthan radio frequency (RF) signals. The major limitation oflidar is the ability to penetrate clouds and ground surfaces.

  15. Flash LIDAR Emulator for HIL Simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brewster, Paul F.

    2010-01-01

    NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project is building a system for detecting hazards and automatically landing controlled vehicles safely anywhere on the Moon. The Flash Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) sensor is used to create on-the-fly a 3D map of the unknown terrain for hazard detection. As part of the ALHAT project, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation testbed was developed to test the data processing, guidance, and navigation algorithms in real-time to prove their feasibility for flight. Replacing the Flash LIDAR camera with an emulator in the testbed provided a cheaper, safer, more feasible way to test the algorithms in a controlled environment. This emulator must have the same hardware interfaces as the LIDAR camera, have the same performance characteristics, and produce images similar in quality to the camera. This presentation describes the issues involved and the techniques used to create a real-time flash LIDAR emulator to support HIL simulation.

  16. Testing and validation of multi-lidar scanning strategies for wind energy applications: Testing and validation of multi-lidar scanning strategies for wind energy applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Bonin, Timothy A.; Klein, Petra M.

    Several factors cause lidars to measure different values of turbulence than an anemometer on a tower, including volume averaging, instrument noise, and the use of a scanning circle to estimate the wind field. One way to avoid the use of a scanning circle is to deploy multiple scanning lidars and point them toward the same volume in space to collect velocity measurements and extract high-resolution turbulence information. This paper explores the use of two multi-lidar scanning strategies, the tri-Doppler technique and the virtual tower technique, for measuring 3-D turbulence. In Summer 2013, a vertically profiling Leosphere WindCube lidar and threemore » Halo Photonics Streamline lidars were operated at the Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site to test these multi-lidar scanning strategies. During the first half of the field campaign, all three scanning lidars were pointed at approximately the same point in space and a tri-Doppler analysis was completed to calculate the three-dimensional wind vector every second. Next, all three scanning lidars were used to build a “virtual tower” above the WindCube lidar. Results indicate that the tri-Doppler technique measures higher values of horizontal turbulence than the WindCube lidar under stable atmospheric conditions, reduces variance contamination under unstable conditions, and can measure highresolution profiles of mean wind speed and direction. The virtual tower technique provides adequate turbulence information under stable conditions but cannot capture the full temporal variability of turbulence experienced under unstable conditions because of the time needed to readjust the scans.« less

  17. Backscatter Modeling at 2.1 Micron Wavelength for Space-Based and Airborne Lidars Using Aerosol Physico-Chemical and Lidar Datasets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Srivastava, V.; Rothermel, J.; Jarzembski, M. A.; Clarke, A. D.; Cutten, D. R.; Bowdle, D. A.; Spinhirne, J. D.; Menzies, R. T.

    1999-01-01

    Space-based and airborne coherent Doppler lidars designed for measuring global tropospheric wind profiles in cloud-free air rely on backscatter, beta from aerosols acting as passive wind tracers. Aerosol beta distribution in the vertical can vary over as much as 5-6 orders of magnitude. Thus, the design of a wave length-specific, space-borne or airborne lidar must account for the magnitude of 8 in the region or features of interest. The SPAce Readiness Coherent Lidar Experiment under development by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and scheduled for launch on the Space Shuttle in 2001, will demonstrate wind measurements from space using a solid-state 2 micrometer coherent Doppler lidar. Consequently, there is a critical need to understand variability of aerosol beta at 2.1 micrometers, to evaluate signal detection under varying aerosol loading conditions. Although few direct measurements of beta at 2.1 micrometers exist, extensive datasets, including climatologies in widely-separated locations, do exist for other wavelengths based on CO2 and Nd:YAG lidars. Datasets also exist for the associated microphysical and chemical properties. An example of a multi-parametric dataset is that of the NASA GLObal Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) in 1990 in which aerosol chemistry and size distributions were measured concurrently with multi-wavelength lidar backscatter observations. More recently, continuous-wave (CW) lidar backscatter measurements at mid-infrared wavelengths have been made during the Multicenter Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor (MACAWS) experiment in 1995. Using Lorenz-Mie theory, these datasets have been used to develop a method to convert lidar backscatter to the 2.1 micrometer wavelength. This paper presents comparison of modeled backscatter at wavelengths for which backscatter measurements exist including converted beta (sub 2.1).

  18. Advanced Sine Wave Modulation of Continuous Wave Laser System for Atmospheric CO2 Differential Absorption Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Campbell, Joel F.; Lin, Bing; Nehrir, Amin R.

    2014-01-01

    NASA Langley Research Center in collaboration with ITT Exelis have been experimenting with Continuous Wave (CW) laser absorption spectrometer (LAS) as a means of performing atmospheric CO2 column measurements from space to support the Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission.Because range resolving Intensity Modulated (IM) CW lidar techniques presented here rely on matched filter correlations, autocorrelation properties without side lobes or other artifacts are highly desirable since the autocorrelation function is critical for the measurements of lidar return powers, laser path lengths, and CO2 column amounts. In this paper modulation techniques are investigated that improve autocorrelation properties. The modulation techniques investigated in this paper include sine waves modulated by maximum length (ML) sequences in various hardware configurations. A CW lidar system using sine waves modulated by ML pseudo random noise codes is described, which uses a time shifting approach to separate channels and make multiple, simultaneous online/offline differential absorption measurements. Unlike the pure ML sequence, this technique is useful in hardware that is band pass filtered as the IM sine wave carrier shifts the main power band. Both amplitude and Phase Shift Keying (PSK) modulated IM carriers are investigated that exibit perfect autocorrelation properties down to one cycle per code bit. In addition, a method is presented to bandwidth limit the ML sequence based on a Gaussian filter implemented in terms of Jacobi theta functions that does not seriously degrade the resolution or introduce side lobes as a means of reducing aliasing and IM carrier bandwidth.

  19. Case Study Analyses of the SUCCESS DC-8 Scanning Lidar Database

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Uthe, Edward E.

    2000-01-01

    Under project SUCCESS (Subsonic Aircraft Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study) funded by the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program, SRI International (SRI) developed an angular scanning backscatter lidar for operation on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft and deployed the scanning lidar during the SUCCESS field campaign. The primary purpose of the lidar was to generate real-time video displays of clouds and contrails above, ahead of, and below the DC-8 as a means to help position the aircraft for optimum cloud and contrail sampling by onboard in situ sensors, and to help extend the geometrical domain of the in situ sampling records. A large, relatively complex lidar database was collected and several data examples were processed to illustrate the value of the lidar data for interpreting the other data records collected during SUCCESS. These data examples were used to develop a journal publication for the special SUCCESS Geophysical Research Letters issue. The data examples justified data analyses of a larger part of the DC-8 lidar database and is the objective of the current study. Efficient processing of the SUCCESS DC-8 scanning lidar database required substantial effort to enhance hardware and software components of the data system that was used for the initial analyses. MATLAB instructions are used to generate altitude and distance color-coded lidar displays corrected for effects introduced by aircraft pitch and forward movement during an angular scan time interval. Onboard in situ sensor atmospheric measurements are propagated to distances ahead of the DC-8 using recorded aircraft velocity so that they can be plotted on the lidar displays for comparison with lidar remotely observed aerosol distributions. Resulting lidar and in situ sensor polar scan displays over extended sampling intervals are integrated into a time series movie format for 36 case studies. Contrails and clouds were detected to ranges of 15 km by the forward-viewing angular scanning lidar

  20. Gas in scattering media absorption spectroscopy - GASMAS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Svanberg, Sune

    2008-09-01

    An overview of the new field of Gas in Scattering Media Absorption Spectroscopy (GASMAS) is presented. GASMAS combines narrow-band diode-laser spectroscopy with diffuse media optical propagation. While solids and liquids have broad absorption features, free gas in pores and cavities in the material is characterized by sharp spectral signatures, typically 10,000 times sharper than those of the host material. Many applications in materials science, food packaging, pharmaceutics and medicine have been demonstrated. So far molecular oxygen and water vapour have been studied around 760 and 935 nm, respectively. Liquid water, an important constituent in many natural materials, such as tissue, has a low absorption at such wavelengths, allowing propagation. Polystyrene foam, wood, fruits, food-stuffs, pharmaceutical tablets, and human sinus cavities have been studied. Transport of gas in porous media can readily be studied by first immersing the material in, e.g., pure nitrogen, and then observing the rate at which normal air, containing oxygen, reinvades the material. The conductance of the sinus connective passages can be measured in this way by flushing the nasal cavity with nitrogen. Also other dynamic processes such as drying of materials can be studied. The techniques have also been extended to remote-sensing applications (LIDAR-GASMAS).

  1. Single-Photon LIDAR for Vegetation Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosette, J.; Field, C.; Nelson, R. F.; Decola, P.; Cook, B. D.; Degnan, J. J.

    2011-12-01

    Lidar is now an established and recognised technology which has been widely applied to assist forest inventory, monitoring and management. Small footprint lidar systems produce dense 'point clouds' from intercepted surfaces which, after classification of ground and vegetation returns, can be related to important forest biophysical parameters such as biomass or carbon. Within the context of NASA's Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) initiative (NASA, 2010), the prototype 100 beam, single-photon, scanning lidar, developed by Sigma Space Corporation, USA, is tested to assess the potential of this sensor for vegetation analysis. This emerging lidar technology is currently generally operated at green wavelengths (532 nm) and, like more conventional discrete return NIR lidar sensors, produces point clouds of intercepted surfaces. However, the high pulse repetition rate (20 kHz) and multibeam approach produces an unprecedented measurement rate (up to 2 Million pixels per second) and a correspondingly high point density. Furthermore, the single photon sensitivity enables the technique to be more easily extended to high altitudes and therefore larger swath widths. Additionally, CW diode laser pumping and a low laser pulse energy (6 μJ at 532 nm) favour an extended laser lifetime while the much lower energy per beamlet (~50nJ) ensures eye safety despite operating at a visible wavelength. Furthermore, the short laser pulse duration (0.7ns) allows the surface to be located with high vertical precision. Although the 532 nm green wavelength lies near the peak of the solar output, the spatial and temporal coherence of the surface returns, combined with stringent instrument specifications (small detector field of view and narrow optical band-pass filter), allow solid surfaces to be distinguished from the solar background during daylight operations. However, for extended volumetric scatterers such as tree canopies, some amount of solar noise is likely to be mixed in with valid biomass

  2. Developing a regional canopy fuels assessment strategy using multi-scale lidar

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peterson, Birgit E.; Nelson, Kurtis

    2011-01-01

    Accurate assessments of canopy fuels are needed by fire scientists to understand fire behavior and to predict future fire occurrence. A key descriptor for canopy fuels is canopy bulk density (CBD). CBD is closely linked to the structure of the canopy; therefore, lidar measurements are particularly well suited to assessments of CBD. LANDFIRE scientists are exploring methods to integrate airborne and spaceborne lidar datasets into a national mapping effort. In this study, airborne lidar, spaceborne lidar, and field data are used to map CBD in the Yukon Flats Ecoregion, with the airborne lidar serving as a bridge between the field data and the spaceborne observations. The field-based CBD was positively correlated with airborne lidar observations (R2=0.78). Mapped values of CBD using the airborne lidar dataset were significantly correlated with spaceborne lidar observations when analyzed by forest type (R2=0.62, evergreen and R2=0.71, mixed). Though continued research is necessary to validate these results, they do support the feasibility of airborne and, most importantly, spaceborne lidar data for canopy fuels assessment.

  3. Raman LIDAR for UHECR experiments: an overview of the L'Aquila (Italy) lidar station experience for the retrieval of quality-assured data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iarlori, Marco; Rizi, Vincenzo; D'Amico, Giuseppe; Freudenthaler, Volker; Wandinger, Ulla; Grillo, Aurelio

    L'Aquila (Italy) lidar station is part of the EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) since its beginning in the 2000. In the EARLINET community great efforts are devoted to the quality-assurance of the aerosol optical properties inserted in the database. To this end, each lidar station performed intercomparisons with reference instruments, a series of internal hardware checks in order to assess the quality of their instruments and exercises to test the algorithms used to retrieve the aerosol optical parameters. In this paper we give an overview of our experience within EARLINET qualityassurance (QA) program, which was adopted for the Raman lidar (RL) operated in the AUGER Observatory. This program could be systematically adopted for the lidar systems needed for the current and upcoming UHECR experiments, like CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array).

  4. Doppler Lidar for Wind Measurements on Venus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Upendra N.; Emmitt, George D.; Yu, Jirong; Kavaya, Michael J.

    2010-01-01

    NASA Langley Research Center has a long history of developing 2-micron laser transmitter for wind sensing. With support from NASA Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP) and Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), NASA Langley Research Center has developed a state-of-the-art compact lidar transceiver for a pulsed coherent Doppler lidar system for wind measurement. The transmitter portion of the transceiver employs the high-pulse-energy, Ho:Tm:LuLiF, partially conductively cooled laser technology developed at NASA Langley. The transceiver is capable of 250 mJ pulses at 10 Hz. It is very similar to the technology envisioned for coherent Doppler lidar wind measurements from Earth and Mars orbit. The transceiver is coupled to the large optics and data acquisition system in the NASA Langley VALIDAR mobile trailer. The large optics consists of a 15-cm off-axis beam expanding telescope, and a full-hemispheric scanner. Vertical and horizontal vector winds are measured, as well as relative backscatter. The data acquisition system employs frequency domain velocity estimation and pulse accumulation. It permits real-time display of the processed winds and archival of all data. This lidar system was recently deployed at Howard University facility in Beltsville, Mary-land, along with other wind lidar systems. Coherent Doppler wind lidar ground-based wind measurements and comparisons with other sensors will be presented. A simulation and data product for wind measurement at Venus will be presented.

  5. Gluing for Raman lidar systems using the lamp mapping technique.

    PubMed

    Walker, Monique; Venable, Demetrius; Whiteman, David N

    2014-12-20

    In the context of combined analog and photon counting (PC) data acquisition in a Lidar system, glue coefficients are defined as constants used for converting an analog signal into a virtual PC signal. The coefficients are typically calculated using Lidar profile data taken under clear, nighttime conditions since, in the presence of clouds or high solar background, it is difficult to obtain accurate glue coefficients from Lidar backscattered data. Here we introduce a new method in which we use the lamp mapping technique (LMT) to determine glue coefficients in a manner that does not require atmospheric profiles to be acquired and permits accurate glue coefficients to be calculated when adequate Lidar profile data are not available. The LMT involves scanning a halogen lamp over the aperture of a Lidar receiver telescope such that the optical efficiency of the entire detection system is characterized. The studies shown here involve two Raman lidar systems; the first from Howard University and the second from NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. The glue coefficients determined using the LMT and the Lidar backscattered method agreed within 1.2% for the water vapor channel and within 2.5% for the nitrogen channel for both Lidar systems. We believe this to be the first instance of the use of laboratory techniques for determining the glue coefficients for Lidar data analysis.

  6. Flash LIDAR Systems for Planetary Exploration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dissly, Richard; Weinberg, J.; Weimer, C.; Craig, R.; Earhart, P.; Miller, K.

    2009-01-01

    Ball Aerospace offers a mature, highly capable 3D flash-imaging LIDAR system for planetary exploration. Multi mission applications include orbital, standoff and surface terrain mapping, long distance and rapid close-in ranging, descent and surface navigation and rendezvous and docking. Our flash LIDAR is an optical, time-of-flight, topographic imaging system, leveraging innovations in focal plane arrays, readout integrated circuit real time processing, and compact and efficient pulsed laser sources. Due to its modular design, it can be easily tailored to satisfy a wide range of mission requirements. Flash LIDAR offers several distinct advantages over traditional scanning systems. The entire scene within the sensor's field of view is imaged with a single laser flash. This directly produces an image with each pixel already correlated in time, making the sensor resistant to the relative motion of a target subject. Additionally, images may be produced at rates much faster than are possible with a scanning system. And because the system captures a new complete image with each flash, optical glint and clutter are easily filtered and discarded. This allows for imaging under any lighting condition and makes the system virtually insensitive to stray light. Finally, because there are no moving parts, our flash LIDAR system is highly reliable and has a long life expectancy. As an industry leader in laser active sensor system development, Ball Aerospace has been working for more than four years to mature flash LIDAR systems for space applications, and is now under contract to provide the Vision Navigation System for NASA's Orion spacecraft. Our system uses heritage optics and electronics from our star tracker products, and space qualified lasers similar to those used in our CALIPSO LIDAR, which has been in continuous operation since 2006, providing more than 1.3 billion laser pulses to date.

  7. The NASA/MSFC Coherent Lidar Technology Advisory Team

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kavaya, Michael J.

    1999-01-01

    The SPAce Readiness Coherent Lidar Experiment (SPARCLE) mission was proposed as a low cost technology demonstration mission, using a 2-micron, 100-mJ, 6-Hz, 25-cm, coherent lidar system based on demonstrated technology. SPARCLE was selected in late October 1997 to be NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP) second earth-observing (EO-2) mission. To maximize the success probability of SPARCLE, NASA/MSFC desired expert guidance in the areas of coherent laser radar (CLR) theory, CLR wind measurement, fielding of CLR systems, CLR alignment validation, and space lidar experience. This led to the formation of the NASA/MSFC Coherent Lidar Technology Advisory Team (CLTAT) in December 1997. A threefold purpose for the advisory team was identified as: 1) guidance to the SPARCLE mission, 2) advice regarding the roadmap of post-SPARCLE coherent Doppler wind lidar (CDWL) space missions and the desired matching technology development plan 3, and 3) general coherent lidar theory, simulation, hardware, and experiment information exchange. The current membership of the CLTAT is shown. Membership does not result in any NASA or other funding at this time. We envision the business of the CLTAT to be conducted mostly by email, teleconference, and occasional meetings. The three meetings of the CLTAT to date, in Jan. 1998, July 1998, and Jan. 1999, have all been collocated with previously scheduled meetings of the Working Group on Space-Based Lidar Winds. The meetings have been very productive. Topics discussed include the SPARCLE technology validation plan including pre-launch end-to-end testing, the space-based wind mission roadmap beyond SPARCLE and its implications on the resultant technology development, the current values and proposed future advancement in lidar system efficiency, and the difference between using single-mode fiber optical mixing vs. the traditional free space optical mixing.

  8. Analysis of Technology for Solid State Coherent Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amzajerdian, Farzin

    1997-01-01

    Over the past few years, considerable advances have been made in the areas of the diode-pumped, eye-safe, solid state lasers, wide bandwidth, semiconductor detectors operating in the near-infrared region. These advances have created new possibilities for the development of low-cost, reliable, and compact coherent lidar systems for measurements of atmospheric winds and aerosol backscattering from a space-based platform. The work performed by the UAH personnel concentrated on design and analyses of solid state pulsed coherent lidar systems capable of measuring atmospheric winds from space, and design and perform laboratory experiments and measurements in support of solid state laser radar remote sensing systems which are to be designed, deployed, and used by NASA to measure atmospheric processes and constituents. A lidar testbed system was designed and analyzed by considering the major space operational and environmental requirements, and its associated physical constraints. The lidar optical system includes a wedge scanner and the compact telescope designed by the UAH personnel. The other major optical components included in the design and analyses were: polarizing beam splitter, routing mirrors, wave plates, signal beam derotator, and lag angle compensator. The testbed lidar optical train was designed and analyzed, and different design options for mounting and packaging the lidar subsystems and components and support structure were investigated. All the optical components are to be mounted in a stress-free and stable manner to allow easy integration and alignment, and long term stability. This lidar system is also intended to be used for evaluating the performance of various lidar subsystems and components that are to be integrated into a flight unit and for demonstrating the integrity of the signal processing algorithms by performing actual atmospheric measurements from a ground station.

  9. NASA ESTO Lidar Technologies Investment Strategy: 2016 Decadal Update

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Valinia, Azita; Komar, George J.; Tratt, David M.; Lotshaw, William T.; Gaab, Kevin M.

    2016-01-01

    The NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) recently updated its investment strategy in the area of lidar technologies as it pertains to NASA's Earth Science measurement goals in the next decade. The last ESTO lidar strategy was documented in 2006. The current (2016) report assesses the state-of-the-art in lidar technologies a decade later. Lidar technology maturation in the past decade has been evaluated, and the ESTO investment strategy is updated and laid out in this report according to current NASA Earth science measurement needs and new emerging technologies.

  10. NASA ESTO Lidar Technologies Investment Strategy: 2016 Decadal Update

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Valinia, Azita; Komar, George J.; Tratt, David M.; Lotshaw, William; Gaab, Kevin; Mayo, David

    2016-01-01

    The NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) recently updated its investment strategy in the area of lidar technologies as it pertains to NASAs Earth Science measurement goals in the next decade. The last ESTO lidar strategy was documented in 2006. The current (2016) report assesses the state-of-the-art in lidar technologies a decade later. Lidar technology maturation in the past decade has been evaluated, and the ESTO investment strategy is updated and laid out in this report according to current NASA Earth science measurement needs and new emerging technologies.

  11. NASA ESTO Lidar Technologies Investment Strategy: 2016 Decadal Update

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Valinia, Azita; Komar, George J.; Tratt, David M.; Lotshaw, William T.; Gaab, Kevin M.

    2017-01-01

    The NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) recently updated its investment strategy in the area of lidar technologies as it pertains to NASA's Earth Science measurement goals in the next decade. The last ESTO lidar strategy was documented in 2006. The current (2016) report assesses the state-of-the-art in lidar technologies a decade later. Lidar technology maturation in the past decade has been evaluated, and the ESTO investment strategy is updated and laid out in this report according to current NASA Earth science measurement needs and new emerging technologies.

  12. High Spectral Resolution Lidar for atmospheric temperature profiling.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razenkov, I.; Eloranta, E. W.

    2017-12-01

    The High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) designed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is equipped with two iodine absorption filters with different line widths (1.8 GHz and 2.85 GHz). The filters are implemented to discriminate between Mie and Rayleigh backscattering and to resolve temperature sensitive changes in Rayleigh spectrum for atmospheric temperature profile measurements. This measurement capability makes the instrument intrinsically and absolutely calibrated. HSRL has a shared transmitter-receiver telescope and operates in the eye-safe mode with the product of laser average power and telescope aperture less than 0.025 𝑊𝑚2 at 532 nm. With this low-power prototype instrument we have achieved temperature profile measurements extending above tropopause with a time resolution of several hours. Further instrument optimizations will reduce systematic measurement errors and will improve a signal-to-noise ratio providing temperature data comparable to a standard radiosonde with higher time resolution.

  13. Backscatter nephelometer to calibrate scanning lidar

    Treesearch

    Cyle E. Wold; Vladmir A. Kovalev; Wei Min Hao

    2008-01-01

    The general concept of an open-path backscatter nephelometer, its design, principles of calibration and the operational use are discussed. The research-grade instrument, which operates at the wavelength 355 nm, will be co-located with a scanning-lidar at measurement sites near wildfires, and used for the lidar calibration. Such a near-end calibration has significant...

  14. The Novel Nonlinear Adaptive Doppler Shift Estimation Technique and the Coherent Doppler Lidar System Validation Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; Koch, Grady J.

    2006-01-01

    The signal processing aspect of a 2-m wavelength coherent Doppler lidar system under development at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia is investigated in this paper. The lidar system is named VALIDAR (validation lidar) and its signal processing program estimates and displays various wind parameters in real-time as data acquisition occurs. The goal is to improve the quality of the current estimates such as power, Doppler shift, wind speed, and wind direction, especially in low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) regime. A novel Nonlinear Adaptive Doppler Shift Estimation Technique (NADSET) is developed on such behalf and its performance is analyzed using the wind data acquired over a long period of time by VALIDAR. The quality of Doppler shift and power estimations by conventional Fourier-transform-based spectrum estimation methods deteriorates rapidly as SNR decreases. NADSET compensates such deterioration in the quality of wind parameter estimates by adaptively utilizing the statistics of Doppler shift estimate in a strong SNR range and identifying sporadic range bins where good Doppler shift estimates are found. The authenticity of NADSET is established by comparing the trend of wind parameters with and without NADSET applied to the long-period lidar return data.

  15. Processing LiDAR Data to Predict Natural Hazards

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fairweather, Ian; Crabtree, Robert; Hager, Stacey

    2008-01-01

    ELF-Base and ELF-Hazards (wherein 'ELF' signifies 'Extract LiDAR Features' and 'LiDAR' signifies 'light detection and ranging') are developmental software modules for processing remote-sensing LiDAR data to identify past natural hazards (principally, landslides) and predict future ones. ELF-Base processes raw LiDAR data, including LiDAR intensity data that are often ignored in other software, to create digital terrain models (DTMs) and digital feature models (DFMs) with sub-meter accuracy. ELF-Hazards fuses raw LiDAR data, data from multispectral and hyperspectral optical images, and DTMs and DFMs generated by ELF-Base to generate hazard risk maps. Advanced algorithms in these software modules include line-enhancement and edge-detection algorithms, surface-characterization algorithms, and algorithms that implement innovative data-fusion techniques. The line-extraction and edge-detection algorithms enable users to locate such features as faults and landslide headwall scarps. Also implemented in this software are improved methodologies for identification and mapping of past landslide events by use of (1) accurate, ELF-derived surface characterizations and (2) three LiDAR/optical-data-fusion techniques: post-classification data fusion, maximum-likelihood estimation modeling, and hierarchical within-class discrimination. This software is expected to enable faster, more accurate forecasting of natural hazards than has previously been possible.

  16. Design and implementation of a preprocessing system for a sodium lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Voelz, D. G.; Sechrist, C. F., Jr.

    1983-01-01

    A preprocessing system, designed and constructed for use with the University of Illinois sodium lidar system, was developed to increase the altitude resolution and range of the lidar system and also to decrease the processing burden of the main lidar computer. The preprocessing system hardware and the software required to implement the system are described. Some preliminary results of an airborne sodium lidar experiment conducted with the preprocessing system installed in the sodium lidar are presented.

  17. The Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE): An Airborne Direct Detection Doppler Lidar Instrument Development Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gentry, Bruce; McGill, Matthew; Schwemmer, Geary; Hardesty, Michael; Brewer, Alan; Wilkerson, Thomas; Atlas, Robert; Sirota, Marcos; Lindemann, Scott

    2006-01-01

    Global measurement of tropospheric winds is a key measurement for understanding atmospheric dynamics and improving numerical weather prediction. Global wind profiles remain a high priority for the operational weather community and also for a variety of research applications including studies of the global hydrologic cycle and transport studies of aerosols and trace species. In addition to space based winds, a high altitude airborne system flown on UAV or other advanced platforms would be of great interest for studying mesoscale dynamics and hurricanes. The Tropospheric Wind Lidar Technology Experiment (TWiLiTE) project was selected in 2005 by the NASA Earth Sun Technology Office as part of the Instrument Incubator Program. TWiLiTE will leverage significant research and development investments in key technologies made in the past several years. The primary focus will be on integrating these sub-systems into a complete molecular direct detection Doppler wind lidar system designed for autonomous operation on a high altitude aircraft, such as the NASA WB57, so that the nadir viewing lidar will be able to profile winds through the full troposphere. TWiLiTE is a collaboration involving scientists and technologists from NASA Goddard, NOAA ESRL, Utah State University Space Dynamics Lab and industry partners Michigan Aerospace Corporation and Sigma Space Corporation. NASA Goddard and it's partners have been at the forefront in the development of key lidar technologies (lasers, telescopes, scanning systems, detectors and receivers) required to enable spaceborne global wind lidar measurement. The TWiLiTE integrated airborne Doppler lidar instrument will be the first demonstration of a airborne scanning direct detection Doppler lidar and will serve as a critical milestone on the path to a fixture spaceborne tropospheric wind system. The completed system will have the capability to profile winds in clear air from the aircraft altitude of 18 h to the surface with 250 m vertical

  18. Forest Biomass Mapping From Lidar and Radar Synergies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sun, Guoqing; Ranson, K. Jon; Guo, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Montesano, P.; Kimes, D.

    2011-01-01

    The use of lidar and radar instruments to measure forest structure attributes such as height and biomass at global scales is being considered for a future Earth Observation satellite mission, DESDynI (Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of Ice). Large footprint lidar makes a direct measurement of the heights of scatterers in the illuminated footprint and can yield accurate information about the vertical profile of the canopy within lidar footprint samples. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is known to sense the canopy volume, especially at longer wavelengths and provides image data. Methods for biomass mapping by a combination of lidar sampling and radar mapping need to be developed. In this study, several issues in this respect were investigated using aircraft borne lidar and SAR data in Howland, Maine, USA. The stepwise regression selected the height indices rh50 and rh75 of the Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) data for predicting field measured biomass with a R(exp 2) of 0.71 and RMSE of 31.33 Mg/ha. The above-ground biomass map generated from this regression model was considered to represent the true biomass of the area and used as a reference map since no better biomass map exists for the area. Random samples were taken from the biomass map and the correlation between the sampled biomass and co-located SAR signature was studied. The best models were used to extend the biomass from lidar samples into all forested areas in the study area, which mimics a procedure that could be used for the future DESDYnI Mission. It was found that depending on the data types used (quad-pol or dual-pol) the SAR data can predict the lidar biomass samples with R2 of 0.63-0.71, RMSE of 32.0-28.2 Mg/ha up to biomass levels of 200-250 Mg/ha. The mean biomass of the study area calculated from the biomass maps generated by lidar- SAR synergy 63 was within 10% of the reference biomass map derived from LVIS data. The results from this study are preliminary, but do show the

  19. Modeling Lidar Multiple Scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Kaori; Okamoto, Hajime; Ishimoto, Hiroshi

    2016-06-01

    A practical model to simulate multiply scattered lidar returns from inhomogeneous cloud layers are developed based on Backward Monte Carlo (BMC) simulations. The estimated time delay of the backscattered intensities returning from different vertical grids by the developed model agreed well with that directly obtained from BMC calculations. The method was applied to the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite data to improve the synergetic retrieval of cloud microphysics with CloudSat radar data at optically thick cloud grids. Preliminary results for retrieving mass fraction of co-existing cloud particles and drizzle size particles within lowlevel clouds are demonstrated.

  20. The marbll experiment: towards a martian wind lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Määttänen, Anni; Ravetta, François; Montmessin, Franck; Bruneau, Didier; Mariscal, Jean-François; Van Haecke, Mathilde; Fayolle, Guillaume; Montaron, Christophe; Coscia, David

    2018-04-01

    Operating a lidar on Mars would fulfill the need of accessing wind and aerosol profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer. This is the purpose of the MARs Boundary Layer Lidar (MARBLL) instrument. We report recent developments of this compact direct-detection wind lidar designed to operate from the surface of Mars. A new laser source has been developed and an azimuthal scanning capability has been added. Preliminary results of a field campaign are presented.

  1. Evaluating lidar point densities for effective estimation of aboveground biomass

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wu, Zhuoting; Dye, Dennis G.; Stoker, Jason M.; Vogel, John M.; Velasco, Miguel G.; Middleton, Barry R.

    2016-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) was recently established to provide airborne lidar data coverage on a national scale. As part of a broader research effort of the USGS to develop an effective remote sensing-based methodology for the creation of an operational biomass Essential Climate Variable (Biomass ECV) data product, we evaluated the performance of airborne lidar data at various pulse densities against Landsat 8 satellite imagery in estimating above ground biomass for forests and woodlands in a study area in east-central Arizona, U.S. High point density airborne lidar data, were randomly sampled to produce five lidar datasets with reduced densities ranging from 0.5 to 8 point(s)/m2, corresponding to the point density range of 3DEP to provide national lidar coverage over time. Lidar-derived aboveground biomass estimate errors showed an overall decreasing trend as lidar point density increased from 0.5 to 8 points/m2. Landsat 8-based aboveground biomass estimates produced errors larger than the lowest lidar point density of 0.5 point/m2, and therefore Landsat 8 observations alone were ineffective relative to airborne lidar for generating a Biomass ECV product, at least for the forest and woodland vegetation types of the Southwestern U.S. While a national Biomass ECV product with optimal accuracy could potentially be achieved with 3DEP data at 8 points/m2, our results indicate that even lower density lidar data could be sufficient to provide a national Biomass ECV product with accuracies significantly higher than that from Landsat observations alone.

  2. Wind Ressources in Complex Terrain investigated with Synchronized Lidar Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mann, J.; Menke, R.; Vasiljevic, N.

    2017-12-01

    The Perdigao experiment was performed by a number of European and American universities in Portugal 2017, and it is probably the largest field campaign focussing on wind energy ressources in complex terrain ever conducted. 186 sonic anemometers on 50 masts, 20 scanning wind lidars and a host of other instruments were deployed. The experiment is a part of an effort to make a new European wind atlas. In this presentation we investigate whether scanning the wind speed over ridges in this complex terrain with multiple Doppler lidars can lead to an efficient mapping of the wind resources at relevant positions. We do that by having pairs of Doppler lidars scanning 80 m above the ridges in Perdigao. We compare wind resources obtained from the lidars and from the mast-mounted sonic anemometers at 80 m on two 100 m masts, one on each of the two ridges. In addition, the scanning lidar measurements are also compared to profiling lidars on the ridges. We take into account the fact that the profiling lidars may be biased due to the curvature of the streamlines over the instrument, see Bingol et al, Meteorolog. Z. vol. 18, pp. 189-195 (2009). We also investigate the impact of interruptions of the lidar measurements on the estimated wind resource. We calculate the relative differences of wind along the ridge from the lidar measurements and compare those to the same obtained from various micro-scale models. A particular subject investigated is how stability affects the wind resources. We often observe internal gravity waves with the scanning lidars during the night and we quantify how these affect the relative wind speed on the ridges.

  3. Two-wavelength backscattering lidar for stand off detection of aerosols

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mierczyk, Zygmunt; Zygmunt, Marek; Gawlikowski, Andrzej; Gietka, Andrzej; Kaszczuk, Miroslawa; Knysak, Piotr; Mlodzianko, Andrzej; Muzal, Michal; Piotrowski, Wiesław; Wojtanowski, Jacek

    2008-10-01

    Following article presents LIDAR for stand off detection of aerosols which was constructed in Institute of Optoelectronics in Military University of Technology. LIDAR is a DISC type system (DIfferential SCattering) and is based on analysis of backscattering signal for two wavelengths (λ1 = 1064 nm and λ2 = 532 nm) - the first and the second harmonic of Nd:YAG laser. Optical receiving system is consisted of aspherical mirror lens, two additional mirrors and a system of interference filters. In detection system of LIDAR a silicon avalanche photodiode and two different amplifiers were used. Whole system is mounted on a specialized platform designed for possibility of LIDAR scanning movements. LIDAR is computer controlled. The compiled software enables regulation of the scanning platform work, gain control, and control of data processing and acquisition system. In the article main functional elements of LIDAR are shown and typical parameters of system work and construction are presented. One presented also first results of research with use of LIDAR. The aim of research was to detect and characterize scattering aerosol, both natural and anthropogenic one. For analyses of natural aerosols, cumulus cloud was used. For analyses of anthropogenic aerosols one used three various pyrotechnic mixtures (DM11, M2, M16) which generate smoke of different parameters. All scattering centers were firstly well described and theoretical analyses were conducted. Results of LIDAR research were compared with theoretical analyses and general conclusions concerning correctness of LIDAR work and its application were drawn.

  4. An OPO-Based Lidar System for Differential Absorption Measurements of Methane in the 3 micron region

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, S. W.; Zenker, T.; Chyba, T. H.

    1998-01-01

    A ground-based lidar system in the wavelength region of 1.45-4 microns for the remote measurement of methane is described. The laser transmitter consists of an injection-seeded Nd:YAG laser which pumps an OPO (optical parametric oscillator). The OPO output is tunable from 1.45-4 microns, with a bandwidth less than 500 MHz, and a pulse energy of 1 to 3 mJ at 3.29 microns. The receiver is cart-mounted and consists of a 14" telescope with 1.57 and 3.29 micron detector channels. A fast oscilloscope is used for data acquisition. The system performance will be tested through measurements of sources of atmospheric methane.

  5. Four-wavelength lidar evaluation of particle characteristics and aerosol densities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uthe, E. E.; Livingston, J. M.; Delateur, S. A.; Nielsen, N. B.

    1985-06-01

    The SRI International four-wavelength (0.53, 1.06, 3.8, 10.6 micron) lidar systems was used during the SNOW-ONE-B and Smoke Week XI/SNOW-TWO field experiments to validate its capabilities in assessing obscurant optical and physical properties. The lidar viewed along a horizontal path terminated by a passive reflector. Data examples were analyzed in terms of time-dependent transmission, wavelength dependence of optical depth, and range-resolved extinction coefficients. Three methods were used to derive extinction data from the lidar signatures. These were target method, Klett method and experimental data method. The results of the field and analysis programs are reported in the journal and conference papers that are appended to this report, and include: comparison study of lidar extinction methods, submitted to applied optics, error analysis of lidar solution techniques for range-resolved extinction coefficients based on observational data, smoke/obscurants symposium 9, Four--Wavelength Lidar Measurements from smoke week 6/SNOW-TWO, smoke/obscurants symposium 8, SNOW-ONE-B multiple-wavelength lidar measurements. Snow symposium 3, and lidar applications for obscurant evaluations, smoke/obscurants Symposium 7. The report also provides a summary of background work leading to this project, and of project results.

  6. ASPRS research on quantifying the geometric quality of lidar data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sampath, Aparajithan; Heidemann, Hans K.; Stensaas, Gregory L.; Christopherson, Jon B.

    2014-01-01

    The ASPRS Lidar Cal/Val (calibration/validation) Working Group led by the US Geological Survey (USGS) to establish “Guidelines on Geometric Accuracy and Quality of Lidar Data” has made excellent progress via regular teleconferences and meetings. The group is focused on identifying data quality metrics and establishing a set of guidelines for quantifying the quality of lidar data. The working group has defined and agreed on lidar Data Quality Measures (DQMs) to be used for this purpose. The DQMs are envisaged as the first ever consistent way of checking lidar data. It is expected that these metrics will be used as standard methods for quantifying the geometric quality of lidar data. The goal of this article is to communicate these developments to the readers and the larger geospatial community and invite them to participate in the process.  

  7. Underwater lidar system: design challenges and application in pollution detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Pradip; Sankolli, Swati; Chakraborty, A.

    2016-05-01

    The present remote sensing techniques have imposed limitations in the applications of LIDAR Technology. The fundamental sampling inadequacy of the remote sensing data obtained from satellites is that they cannot resolve in the third spatial dimension, the vertical. This limits our possibilities of measuring any vertical variability in the water column. Also the interaction between the physical and biological process in the oceans and their effects at subsequent depths cannot be modeled with present techniques. The idea behind this paper is to introduce underwater LIDAR measurement system by using a LIDAR mounted on an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The paper introduces working principles and design parameters for the LIDAR mounted AUV (AUV-LIDAR). Among several applications the papers discusses the possible use and advantages of AUV-LIDAR in water pollution detection through profiling of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in water bodies.

  8. Determination of Spatial Distribution of Air Pollution by Dye Laser Measurement of Differential Absorption of Elastic Backscatter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ahmed, S. A.; Gergely, J. S.

    1973-01-01

    This paper presents the results of an analytical study of a lidar system which uses tunable organic dye lasers to accurately determine spatial distribution of molecular air pollutants. Also described will be experimental work to date on simultaneous multiwavelength output dye laser sources for this system. Basically the scheme determines the concentration of air pollutants by measuring the differential absorption of an (at least) two wavelength lidar signal elastically backscattered by the atmosphere. Only relative measurements of the backscattered intensity at each of the two wavelengths, one on and one off the resonance absorption of the pollutant in question, are required. The various parameters of the scheme are examined and the component elements required for a system of this type discussed, with emphasis on the dye laser source. Potential advantages of simultaneous multiwavelength outputs are described. The use of correlation spectroscopy in this context is examined. Comparisons are also made for the use of infrared probing wavelengths and sources instead of dye lasers. Estimates of the sensitivity and accuracy of a practical dye laser system of this type, made for specific pollutants, snow it to have inherent advantages over other schemes for determining pollutant spatial distribution.

  9. Quantifying TOLNet Ozone Lidar Accuracy During the 2014 DISCOVER-AQ and FRAPPE Campaigns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Lihua; Newchurch, Michael J.; Alvarez, Raul J., II; Berkoff, Timothy A.; Brown, Steven S.; Carrion, William; De Young, Russell J.; Johnson, Bryan J.; Ganoe, Rene; Gronoff, Guillaume; hide

    2017-01-01

    The Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) is a unique network of lidar systems that measure high-resolution atmospheric profiles of ozone. The accurate characterization of these lidars is necessary to determine the uniformity of the network calibration. From July to August 2014, three lidars, the TROPospheric OZone (TROPOZ) lidar, the Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and oZone (TOPAZ) lidar, and the Langley Mobile Ozone Lidar (LMOL), of TOLNet participated in the Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) mission and the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPA) to measure ozone variations from the boundary layer to the top of the troposphere. This study presents the analysis of the intercomparison between the TROPOZ, TOPAZ, and LMOL lidars, along with comparisons between the lidars and other in situ ozone instruments including ozonesondes and a P-3B airborne chemiluminescence sensor. The TOLNet lidars measured vertical ozone structures with an accuracy generally better than +/-15 % within the troposphere. Larger differences occur at some individual altitudes in both the near-field and far-field range of the lidar systems, largely as expected. In terms of column average, the TOLNet lidars measured ozone with an accuracy better than +/-5 % for both the intercomparison between the lidars and between the lidars and other instruments. These results indicate that these three TOLNet lidars are suitable for use in air quality, satellite validation, and ozone modeling efforts.

  10. Quantifying TOLNet ozone lidar accuracy during the 2014 DISCOVER-AQ and FRAPPÉ campaigns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Lihua; Newchurch, Michael J.; Alvarez, Raul J., II; Berkoff, Timothy A.; Brown, Steven S.; Carrion, William; De Young, Russell J.; Johnson, Bryan J.; Ganoe, Rene; Gronoff, Guillaume; Kirgis, Guillaume; Kuang, Shi; Langford, Andrew O.; Leblanc, Thierry; McDuffie, Erin E.; McGee, Thomas J.; Pliutau, Denis; Senff, Christoph J.; Sullivan, John T.; Sumnicht, Grant; Twigg, Laurence W.; Weinheimer, Andrew J.

    2017-10-01

    The Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) is a unique network of lidar systems that measure high-resolution atmospheric profiles of ozone. The accurate characterization of these lidars is necessary to determine the uniformity of the network calibration. From July to August 2014, three lidars, the TROPospheric OZone (TROPOZ) lidar, the Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and oZone (TOPAZ) lidar, and the Langley Mobile Ozone Lidar (LMOL), of TOLNet participated in the Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) mission and the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Éxperiment (FRAPPÉ) to measure ozone variations from the boundary layer to the top of the troposphere. This study presents the analysis of the intercomparison between the TROPOZ, TOPAZ, and LMOL lidars, along with comparisons between the lidars and other in situ ozone instruments including ozonesondes and a P-3B airborne chemiluminescence sensor. The TOLNet lidars measured vertical ozone structures with an accuracy generally better than ±15 % within the troposphere. Larger differences occur at some individual altitudes in both the near-field and far-field range of the lidar systems, largely as expected. In terms of column average, the TOLNet lidars measured ozone with an accuracy better than ±5 % for both the intercomparison between the lidars and between the lidars and other instruments. These results indicate that these three TOLNet lidars are suitable for use in air quality, satellite validation, and ozone modeling efforts.

  11. Evaluation of three lidar scanning strategies for turbulence measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newman, J. F.; Klein, P. M.; Wharton, S.; Sathe, A.; Bonin, T. A.; Chilson, P. B.; Muschinski, A.

    2015-11-01

    Several errors occur when a traditional Doppler-beam swinging (DBS) or velocity-azimuth display (VAD) strategy is used to measure turbulence with a lidar. To mitigate some of these errors, a scanning strategy was recently developed which employs six beam positions to independently estimate the u, v, and w velocity variances and covariances. In order to assess the ability of these different scanning techniques to measure turbulence, a Halo scanning lidar, WindCube v2 pulsed lidar and ZephIR continuous wave lidar were deployed at field sites in Oklahoma and Colorado with collocated sonic anemometers. Results indicate that the six-beam strategy mitigates some of the errors caused by VAD and DBS scans, but the strategy is strongly affected by errors in the variance measured at the different beam positions. The ZephIR and WindCube lidars overestimated horizontal variance values by over 60 % under unstable conditions as a result of variance contamination, where additional variance components contaminate the true value of the variance. A correction method was developed for the WindCube lidar that uses variance calculated from the vertical beam position to reduce variance contamination in the u and v variance components. The correction method reduced WindCube variance estimates by over 20 % at both the Oklahoma and Colorado sites under unstable conditions, when variance contamination is largest. This correction method can be easily applied to other lidars that contain a vertical beam position and is a promising method for accurately estimating turbulence with commercially available lidars.

  12. Evaluation of three lidar scanning strategies for turbulence measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Klein, Petra M.; Wharton, Sonia; Sathe, Ameya; Bonin, Timothy A.; Chilson, Phillip B.; Muschinski, Andreas

    2016-05-01

    Several errors occur when a traditional Doppler beam swinging (DBS) or velocity-azimuth display (VAD) strategy is used to measure turbulence with a lidar. To mitigate some of these errors, a scanning strategy was recently developed which employs six beam positions to independently estimate the u, v, and w velocity variances and covariances. In order to assess the ability of these different scanning techniques to measure turbulence, a Halo scanning lidar, WindCube v2 pulsed lidar, and ZephIR continuous wave lidar were deployed at field sites in Oklahoma and Colorado with collocated sonic anemometers.Results indicate that the six-beam strategy mitigates some of the errors caused by VAD and DBS scans, but the strategy is strongly affected by errors in the variance measured at the different beam positions. The ZephIR and WindCube lidars overestimated horizontal variance values by over 60 % under unstable conditions as a result of variance contamination, where additional variance components contaminate the true value of the variance. A correction method was developed for the WindCube lidar that uses variance calculated from the vertical beam position to reduce variance contamination in the u and v variance components. The correction method reduced WindCube variance estimates by over 20 % at both the Oklahoma and Colorado sites under unstable conditions, when variance contamination is largest. This correction method can be easily applied to other lidars that contain a vertical beam position and is a promising method for accurately estimating turbulence with commercially available lidars.

  13. Automated integration of lidar into the LANDFIRE product suite

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peterson, Birgit; Nelson, Kurtis; Seielstad, Carl; Stoker, Jason M.; Jolly, W. Matt; Parsons, Russell

    2015-01-01

    Accurate information about three-dimensional canopy structure and wildland fuel across the landscape is necessary for fire behaviour modelling system predictions. Remotely sensed data are invaluable for assessing these canopy characteristics over large areas; lidar data, in particular, are uniquely suited for quantifying three-dimensional canopy structure. Although lidar data are increasingly available, they have rarely been applied to wildland fuels mapping efforts, mostly due to two issues. First, the Landscape Fire and Resource Planning Tools (LANDFIRE) program, which has become the default source of large-scale fire behaviour modelling inputs for the US, does not currently incorporate lidar data into the vegetation and fuel mapping process because spatially continuous lidar data are not available at the national scale. Second, while lidar data are available for many land management units across the US, these data are underutilized for fire behaviour applications. This is partly due to a lack of local personnel trained to process and analyse lidar data. This investigation addresses these issues by developing the Creating Hybrid Structure from LANDFIRE/lidar Combinations (CHISLIC) tool. CHISLIC allows individuals to automatically generate a suite of vegetation structure and wildland fuel parameters from lidar data and infuse them into existing LANDFIRE data sets. CHISLIC will become available for wider distribution to the public through a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service’s Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) and may be incorporated into the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) with additional design and testing. WFAS and WFDSS are the primary systems used to support tactical and strategic wildland fire management decisions.

  14. Lightweight Inexpensive Ozone Lidar Telescope Using a Plastic Fresnel Lens

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeYoung, Russell J.; Notari, Anthony; Carrion, William; Pliutau, Denis

    2014-01-01

    An inexpensive lightweight ozone lidar telescope was designed, constructed and operated during an ozone lidar field campaign. This report summarizes the design parameters and performance of the plastic Fresnel lens telescope and shows the ozone lidar performance compared to Zemax calculations.

  15. Lidar Systems for Precision Navigation and Safe Landing on Planetary Bodies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Petway, Larry B.; Hines, Glenn D.; Roback, Vincent E.

    2011-01-01

    The ability of lidar technology to provide three-dimensional elevation maps of the terrain, high precision distance to the ground, and approach velocity can enable safe landing of robotic and manned vehicles with a high degree of precision. Currently, NASA is developing novel lidar sensors aimed at needs of future planetary landing missions. These lidar sensors are a 3-Dimensional Imaging Flash Lidar, a Doppler Lidar, and a Laser Altimeter. The Flash Lidar is capable of generating elevation maps of the terrain that indicate hazardous features such as rocks, craters, and steep slopes. The elevation maps collected during the approach phase of a landing vehicle, at about 1 km above the ground, can be used to determine the most suitable safe landing site. The Doppler Lidar provides highly accurate ground relative velocity and distance data allowing for precision navigation to the landing site. Our Doppler lidar utilizes three laser beams pointed to different directions to measure line of sight velocities and ranges to the ground from altitudes of over 2 km. Throughout the landing trajectory starting at altitudes of about 20 km, the Laser Altimeter can provide very accurate ground relative altitude measurements that are used to improve the vehicle position knowledge obtained from the vehicle navigation system. At altitudes from approximately 15 km to 10 km, either the Laser Altimeter or the Flash Lidar can be used to generate contour maps of the terrain, identifying known surface features such as craters, to perform Terrain relative Navigation thus further reducing the vehicle s relative position error. This paper describes the operational capabilities of each lidar sensor and provides a status of their development. Keywords: Laser Remote Sensing, Laser Radar, Doppler Lidar, Flash Lidar, 3-D Imaging, Laser Altimeter, Precession Landing, Hazard Detection

  16. An Improved Calibration Method for a Rotating 2D LIDAR System.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Yadan; Yu, Heng; Dai, Houde; Song, Shuang; Lin, Mingqiang; Sun, Bo; Jiang, Wei; Meng, Max Q-H

    2018-02-07

    This paper presents an improved calibration method of a rotating two-dimensional light detection and ranging (R2D-LIDAR) system, which can obtain the 3D scanning map of the surroundings. The proposed R2D-LIDAR system, composed of a 2D LIDAR and a rotating unit, is pervasively used in the field of robotics owing to its low cost and dense scanning data. Nevertheless, the R2D-LIDAR system must be calibrated before building the geometric model because there are assembled deviation and abrasion between the 2D LIDAR and the rotating unit. Hence, the calibration procedures should contain both the adjustment between the two devices and the bias of 2D LIDAR itself. The main purpose of this work is to resolve the 2D LIDAR bias issue with a flat plane based on the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm. Experimental results for the calibration of the R2D-LIDAR system prove the reliability of this strategy to accurately estimate sensor offsets with the error range from -15 mm to 15 mm for the performance of capturing scans.

  17. Deriving Leaf Area Index (LAI) from multiple lidar remote sensing systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, H.; Dubayah, R.; Zhao, F.

    2012-12-01

    LAI is an important biophysical variable linking biogeochemical cycles of earth systems. Observations with passive optical remote sensing are plagued by saturation and results from different passive and active sensors are often inconsistent. Recently lidar remote sensing has been applied to derive vertical canopy structure including LAI and its vertical profile. In this research we compare LAI retrievals from three different types of lidar sensors. The study areas include the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica and Sierra Nevada Forest in California. We first obtain independent LAI estimates from different lidar systems including airborne lidar (LVIS), spaceborne lidar (GLAS) and ground lidar (Echidna). LAI retrievals are then evaluated between sensors as a function of scale, land cover type and sensor characteristics. We also assess the accuracy of these LAI products against ground measurements. By providing a link between ground observations, ground lidar, aircraft and space-based lidar we hope to demonstrate a path for deriving more accurate estimates of LAI on a global basis, and to provide a more robust means of validating passive optical estimates of this important variable.

  18. Recent U.S. Geological Survey applications of Lidar

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Queija, Vivian R.; Stoker, Jason M.; Kosovich, John J.

    2005-01-01

    As lidar (light detection and ranging) technology matures, more applications are being explored by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists throughout the Nation, both in collaboration with other Federal agencies and alone in support of USGS natural-hazards research (Crane et al., 2004). As the technology continues to improve and evolve, USGS scientists are finding new and unique methods to use and represent high-resolution lidar data, and new ways to make these data and derived information publicly available. Different lidar sensors and configurations have offered opportunities to use high-resolution elevation data for a variety of projects across all disciplines of the USGS. The following examples are just a few of the diverse projects in the USGS where lidar data is being used.

  19. Software defined coherent lidar (SD-Cl) architecture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laghezza, F.; Onori, D.; Scotti, F.; Bogoni, A.

    2017-09-01

    In recent years, thanks to the innovation in optical and electro-optical components, space based light detection and ranging (Lidar) systems are having great success, as a considerable alternative to passive radiometers or microwave sensors [1]. One of the most important applications, for space based Lidars, is the measure of target's distance and its relative properties as e.g., topography, surface's roughness and reflectivity, gravity and mass, that provide useful information for surface mapping, as well as semi-autonomous landing functionalities on lowgravity bodies (moons and asteroids). These kind of systems are often called Lidar altimeters or laser rangefinders.

  20. Efficient Open Source Lidar for Desktop Users

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flanagan, Jacob P.

    Lidar --- Light Detection and Ranging --- is a remote sensing technology that utilizes a device similar to a rangefinder to determine a distance to a target. A laser pulse is shot at an object and the time it takes for the pulse to return in measured. The distance to the object is easily calculated using the speed property of light. For lidar, this laser is moved (primarily in a rotational movement usually accompanied by a translational movement) and records the distances to objects several thousands of times per second. From this, a 3 dimensional structure can be procured in the form of a point cloud. A point cloud is a collection of 3 dimensional points with at least an x, a y and a z attribute. These 3 attributes represent the position of a single point in 3 dimensional space. Other attributes can be associated with the points that include properties such as the intensity of the return pulse, the color of the target or even the time the point was recorded. Another very useful, post processed attribute is point classification where a point is associated with the type of object the point represents (i.e. ground.). Lidar has gained popularity and advancements in the technology has made its collection easier and cheaper creating larger and denser datasets. The need to handle this data in a more efficiently manner has become a necessity; The processing, visualizing or even simply loading lidar can be computationally intensive due to its very large size. Standard remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) software (ENVI, ArcGIS, etc.) was not originally built for optimized point cloud processing and its implementation is an afterthought and therefore inefficient. Newer, more optimized software for point cloud processing (QTModeler, TopoDOT, etc.) usually lack more advanced processing tools, requires higher end computers and are very costly. Existing open source lidar approaches the loading and processing of lidar in an iterative fashion that requires

  1. Moving Beyond 2% Uncertainty: A New Framework for Quantifying Lidar Uncertainty

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Clifton, Andrew

    2017-03-08

    Remote sensing of wind using lidar is revolutionizing wind energy. However, current generations of wind lidar are ascribed a climatic value of uncertainty, which is based on a poor description of lidar sensitivity to external conditions. In this presentation, we show how it is important to consider the complete lidar measurement process to define the measurement uncertainty, which in turn offers the ability to define a much more granular and dynamic measurement uncertainty. This approach is a progression from the 'white box' lidar uncertainty method.

  2. Lidar point density analysis: implications for identifying water bodies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Worstell, Bruce B.; Poppenga, Sandra K.; Evans, Gayla A.; Prince, Sandra

    2014-01-01

    Most airborne topographic light detection and ranging (lidar) systems operate within the near-infrared spectrum. Laser pulses from these systems frequently are absorbed by water and therefore do not generate reflected returns on water bodies in the resulting void regions within the lidar point cloud. Thus, an analysis of lidar voids has implications for identifying water bodies. Data analysis techniques to detect reduced lidar return densities were evaluated for test sites in Blackhawk County, Iowa, and Beltrami County, Minnesota, to delineate contiguous areas that have few or no lidar returns. Results from this study indicated a 5-meter radius moving window with fewer than 23 returns (28 percent of the moving window) was sufficient for delineating void regions. Techniques to provide elevation values for void regions to flatten water features and to force channel flow in the downstream direction also are presented.

  3. The HOLO Series: Critical Ground-Based Demonstrations of Holographic Scanning Lidars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkerson, Thomas D.; Sanders, Jason A.; Andrus, Ionio Q.; Schwemmer, Geary K.; Miller, David O.; Guerra, David; Schnick, Jeffrey; Moody, Stephen E.

    2000-01-01

    Results of two lidar measurement campaigns are presented, HOLO-1 (Utah, March 1999) and HOLO-2 (New Hampshire, June 1999). These tests demonstrate the ability of lidars utilizing holographic optical elements (HOEs) to determine tropospheric wind velocity and direction at cloud altitude. Several instruments were employed. HOLO-1 used the 1,064 mm transmission-HOE lidar (HARLIE, Goddard Space Flight Center), a zenith-staring 532 nm lidar (AROL-2, Utah State University), and a wide-field video camera (SkyCam) for imagery of clouds overhead. HOLO-2 included these instruments plus the 532 nm reflection-HOE lidar (PHASERS, St. Anselm College). HARLIE and PHASERS scan the sky at constant cone angles of 45 deg. and 42 deg. from normal, respectively. The progress of clouds and entire cloud fields across the sky is tracked by the repetitive conical scans of the HOE lidars. AROL-2 provides the attitude information enabling the SkyCam cloud images to be analyzed for independent data on cloud motion. Data from the HOE lidars are reduced by means of correlations, visualization by animation techniques, and kinematic diagrams of cloud feature motion. Excellent agreement is observed between the HOE lidar results and those obtained with video imagery and lidar ranging.

  4. Cloud and Aerosol 1064nm Lidar Ratio Retrievals from the CATS Instrument

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pauly, R.; Yorks, J. E.; McGill, M. J.; Hlavka, D. L.; Midzak, N.

    2017-12-01

    The extinction to backscatter ratio or lidar ratio is an essential value in order to derive the optical properties of cloud and aerosol layers from standard elastic backscatter lidar data. For these instruments, the lidar ratio can sometimes be determined from lidar data utilizing the transmission loss or "constrained" technique. The best situations for deploying this technique involve clearly defined layers with clear sky underneath for 1-3 km. In situations where the lidar ratio cannot be calculated, look-up tables exist for various cloud and aerosol types. There is a vast data record of derived lidar ratios for various cloud and aerosol types using 532nm from an array of instruments (i.e. HSRL, CALIOP, CPL, Aeronet, MPLNET). To date, because the 1064nm molecular signal is so small, lidar ratios at 1064nm have been mostly determined from 532nm lidar ratios using angstrom exponents, color ratios and ground based non-lidar measurements, as HSRL measurements at that wavelength do not exist. Due to the better signal quality at 1064nm compared to the 532nm signal, the CATS laser was thermally tuned to increase the 1064nm output energy. Therefore, the 1064nm channel is used in nearly all CATS layer data processing, making the accurate determination of 1064nm lidar ratio imperative. The CATS 1064nm signal allows for the unique capability to determine 1064nm lidar ratios better than previous instruments. The statistical and case study results of the CATS derived smoke and dust lidar ratios will be presented. Results have shown that the previously assumed 1064nm lidar ratios for dust need to be lowered. In addition to 1064nm lidar ratio results from the traditional transmission loss technique, results for aerosol layers above opaque water clouds from a method utilizing the depolarization ratio of the opaque cloud will be discussed. Incorporating this method into the CATS algorithms should increase the number of aerosol layers with constrained lidar ratio.

  5. Holographic Optical Elements as Scanning Lidar Telescopes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwemmer, Geary K.; Rallison, Richard D.; Wilkerson, Thomas D.; Guerra, David V.

    2005-01-01

    We have developed and investigated the use of holographic optical elements (HOEs) and holographic transmission gratings for scanning lidar telescopes. For example, rotating a flat HOE in its own plane with the focal spot on the rotation axis makes a very simple and compact conical scanning telescope. We developed and tested transmission and reflection HOEs for use at the first three harmonic wavelengths of Nd:YAG lasers. The diffraction efficiency, diffraction angle, focal length, focal spot size and optical losses were measured for several HOEs and holographic gratings, and found to be suitable for use as lidar receiver telescopes, and in many cases could also serve as the final collimating and beam steering optic for the laser transmitter. Two lidar systems based on this technology have been designed, built, and successfully tested in atmospheric science applications. This technology will enable future spaceborne lidar missions by significantly lowering the size, weight, power requirement and cost of a large aperture, narrow field of view scanning telescope.

  6. Lidars as an operational tool for meteorology and advanced atmospheric research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simeonov, Valentin; Dinoev, Todor; Serikov, Ilya; Froidevaux, Martin; Bartlome, Marcel; Calpini, Bertrand; Bobrovnikov, Sergei; Ristori, Pablo; van den Bergh, Hubert; Parlange, Marc; Archinov, Yury

    2010-05-01

    The talk will present the concept and observation results of three advanced lidar systems developed recently at the Swiss federal Institute of Technology- Lausanne (EPFL) Switzerland. Two of the systems are Raman lidars for simultaneous water vapor, temperature and aerosol observations and the third one is an ozone UV DIAL system. The Ranan lidars use vibrational water vapor and nitrogen signals to derive water vapor mixing ratio and temperature, aerosol extinction and backscatter are measured using pure-rotational Raman and elastic signals. The first Raman lidar (RALMO) is a fully automated, water vapor /temperature/aerosol lidar developed for operational use by the Swiss meteorological office (MeteoSiss). The lidar supplies water vapor mixing ratio and temperature plus aerosol extinction and backscatter coefficients at 355 nm. The operational range of the lidar is 100-7000 m (night time) and 100- 5000 m (daytime) with time resolution of 30 min. The spatial resolution varies with height from 25 to 300 m in order to maintain the maximum measurement error of 10%. The system is designed to provide long-term database with minimal instrument-induced variations in time of the measured parameters. The lidar has been in regular operation in the main aerological station of Meteoswiss- Payerne since September 2008. The second Raman lidar is a new generation, solar-blind system with an operational range 10-500 m and high spatial (1.5 m) and temporal (1 s) resolutions designed for simultaneous humidity, temperature, and aerosol measurements in the lower atmosphere. To maintain the measurement accuracy while operating with fixed spatial and temporal resolution, the receiver is designed to provide lower than ten dynamic range of the signals within the distance range of the lidar. The lidar has 360° azimuth and 240°elevation scanning ability. The lidar was used in two field campaigns aiming to study the structure of the lower atmosphere over complex terrains and, in particular

  7. Innovative fiber-laser architecture-based compact wind lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasad, Narasimha S.; Tracy, Allen; Vetorino, Steve; Higgins, Richard; Sibell, Russ

    2016-03-01

    This paper describes an innovative, compact and eyesafe coherent lidar system developed for use in wind and wake vortex sensing applications. This advanced lidar system is field ruggedized with reduced size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP) configured based on an all-fiber and modular architecture. The all-fiber architecture is developed using a fiber seed laser that is coupled to uniquely configured fiber amplifier modules and associated photonic elements including an integrated 3D scanner. The scanner provides user programmable continuous 360 degree azimuth and 180 degree elevation scan angles. The system architecture eliminates free-space beam alignment issues and allows plug and play operation using graphical user interface software modules. Besides its all fiber architecture, the lidar system also provides pulsewidth agility to aid in improving range resolution. Operating at 1.54 microns and with a PRF of up to 20 KHz, the wind lidar is air cooled with overall dimensions of 30" x 46" x 60" and is designed as a Class 1 system. This lidar is capable of measuring wind velocities greater than 120 +/- 0.2 m/s over ranges greater than 10 km and with a range resolution of less than 15 m. This compact and modular system is anticipated to provide mobility, reliability, and ease of field deployment for wind and wake vortex measurements. The current lidar architecture is amenable for trace gas sensing and as such it is being evolved for airborne and space based platforms. In this paper, the key features of wind lidar instrumentation and its functionality are discussed followed by results of recent wind forecast measurements on a wind farm.

  8. TOLNet ozone lidar intercomparison during the discover-aq and frappé campaigns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newchurch, Michael J.; Alvarez, Raul J.; Berkoff, Timothy A.; Carrion, William; DeYoung, Russell J.; Ganoe, Rene; Gronoff, Guillaume; Kirgis, Guillaume; Kuang, Shi; Langford, Andy O.; Leblanc, Thierry; McGee, Thomas J.; Pliutau, Denis; Senff, Christoph; Sullivan, John T.; Sumnicht, Grant; Twigg, Laurence W.; Wang, Lihua

    2018-04-01

    The Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) is a unique network of lidar systems that measure atmospheric profiles of ozone and aerosols, to contribute to air-quality studies, atmospheric modeling, and satellite validation efforts. The accurate characterization of these lidars is of critical interest, and is necessary to determine cross-instrument calibration uniformity. From July to August 2014, three lidars, the TROPospheric OZone (TROPOZ) lidar, the Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and oZone (TOPAZ) lidar, and the Langley Mobile Ozone Lidar (LMOL), of TOLNet participated in the "Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality" (DISCOVER-AQ) mission and the "Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Éxperiment" (FRAPPÉ) to measure sub-hourly ozone variations from near the surface to the top of the troposphere. Although large differences occur at few individual altitudes in the near field and far field range, the TOLNet lidars agree with each other within ±4%. These results indicate excellent measurement accuracy for the TOLNet lidars that is suitable for use in air-quality and ozone modeling efforts.

  9. Raster Vs. Point Cloud LiDAR Data Classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Ashmawy, N.; Shaker, A.

    2014-09-01

    Airborne Laser Scanning systems with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology is one of the fast and accurate 3D point data acquisition techniques. Generating accurate digital terrain and/or surface models (DTM/DSM) is the main application of collecting LiDAR range data. Recently, LiDAR range and intensity data have been used for land cover classification applications. Data range and Intensity, (strength of the backscattered signals measured by the LiDAR systems), are affected by the flying height, the ground elevation, scanning angle and the physical characteristics of the objects surface. These effects may lead to uneven distribution of point cloud or some gaps that may affect the classification process. Researchers have investigated the conversion of LiDAR range point data to raster image for terrain modelling. Interpolation techniques have been used to achieve the best representation of surfaces, and to fill the gaps between the LiDAR footprints. Interpolation methods are also investigated to generate LiDAR range and intensity image data for land cover classification applications. In this paper, different approach has been followed to classifying the LiDAR data (range and intensity) for land cover mapping. The methodology relies on the classification of the point cloud data based on their range and intensity and then converted the classified points into raster image. The gaps in the data are filled based on the classes of the nearest neighbour. Land cover maps are produced using two approaches using: (a) the conventional raster image data based on point interpolation; and (b) the proposed point data classification. A study area covering an urban district in Burnaby, British Colombia, Canada, is selected to compare the results of the two approaches. Five different land cover classes can be distinguished in that area: buildings, roads and parking areas, trees, low vegetation (grass), and bare soil. The results show that an improvement of around 10 % in the

  10. Forest structures retrieval from LiDAR onboard ULA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shang, Xiaoxia; Chazette, Patrick; Totems, Julien; Marnas, Fabien; Sanak, Joseph

    2013-04-01

    Following the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the assessment of forest carbon stock is one of the main elements for a better understanding of the carbon cycle and its evolution following the climate change. The forests sequester 80% of the continental biospheric carbon and this efficiency is a function of the tree species and the tree health. The airborne backscatter LiDAR onboard the ultra light aircraft (ULA) can provide the key information on the forest vertical structures and evolution in the time. The most important structural parameter is the tree top height, which is directly linked to the above-ground biomass using non-linear relationships. In order to test the LiDAR capability for retrieving the tree top height, the LiDAR ULICE (Ultraviolet LIdar for Canopy Experiment) has been used over different forest types, from coniferous (maritime pins) to deciduous (oaks, hornbeams ...) trees. ULICE works at the wavelength of 355 nm with a sampling along the line-of-sight between 15 and 75 cm. According to the LiDAR signal to noise ratio (SNR), two different algorithms have been used in our study. The first algorithm is a threshold method directly based on the comparison between the LiDAR signal and the noise distributions, while the second one used a low pass filter by fitting a Gaussian curve family. In this paper, we will present these two algorithms and their evolution as a function of the SNR. The main error sources will be also discussed and assessed for each algorithm. The results show that these algorithms have great potential for ground-segment of future space borne LiDAR missions dedicated to the forest survey at the global scale. Acknowledgements: the canopy LiDAR system ULICE has been developed by CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique). It has been deployed with the support of CNES (Centre National d'Etude Spariales) and ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche). We acknowledge the ULA pilots Franck Toussaint for logistical help

  11. All-Fiber Airborne Coherent Doppler Lidar to Measure Wind Profiles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jiqiao; Zhu, Xiaopeng; Diao, Weifeng; Zhang, Xin; Liu, Yuan; Bi, Decang; Jiang, Liyuan; Shi, Wei; Zhu, Xiaolei; Chen, Weibiao

    2016-06-01

    An all-fiber airborne pulsed coherent Doppler lidar (CDL) prototype at 1.54μm is developed to measure wind profiles in the lower troposphere layer. The all-fiber single frequency pulsed laser is operated with pulse energy of 300μJ, pulse width of 400ns and pulse repetition rate of 10kHz. To the best of our knowledge, it is the highest pulse energy of all-fiber eye-safe single frequency laser that is used in airborne coherent wind lidar. The telescope optical diameter of monostatic lidar is 100 mm. Velocity-Azimuth-Display (VAD) scanning is implemented with 20 degrees elevation angle in 8 different azimuths. Real-time signal processing board is developed to acquire and process the heterodyne mixing signal with 10000 pulses spectra accumulated every second. Wind profiles are obtained every 20 seconds. Several experiments are implemented to evaluate the performance of the lidar. We have carried out airborne wind lidar experiments successfully, and the wind profiles are compared with aerological theodolite and ground based wind lidar. Wind speed standard error of less than 0.4m/s is shown between airborne wind lidar and balloon aerological theodolite.

  12. LED mini-lidar as minimum setup

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiina, Tatsuo

    2014-10-01

    The LED mini-lidar has been designed and demonstrated as the near range atmosphere monitoring, dust and gas detections. The LED lamp is used as a lidar light source. It is not a special one, and just used as a small status indicator or a spot luminaire. For the atmospheric monitoring in the near range of a few hundreds meters, the energy of 1nJ (=100mW/10ns) is enough for lidar observation in the nighttime. The LED lamp is excited at the high repetition frequency of < 1MHz. The signal-to-noise ratio can be increased by this high frequency even if the receiving photons are a little at each pulse. It is adequate because the spatiotemporal scale of the low-altitude atmosphere is small of a ten seconds and a few tens meters. To pursue such quick motion of the atmosphere and dust, the high-speed photon counter has been developed. It can act with BIN width of 4ns (Spatial resolution 0.6m) at the repetition frequency of <500kHz. The LED mini-lidar has been demonstrated to monitor the actual atmosphere of the observation range of <500m in the nighttime and <100m in the daytime with the receiving lens of 200mmφ. The interest approach is tired to distinguish the dust characteristics by using the counting rate of dust echoes. It is effective in the case that the dust material is given. And for trial, the LED mini-Raman-lidar is developed to monitor certain gas detection in near distance, too.

  13. Test Bed Doppler Wind Lidar and Intercomparison Facility At NASA Langley Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kavaya, Michael J.; Koch, Grady J.; Petros, Mulugeta; Barnes, Bruce W.; Beyon, Jeffrey; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Yu, Ji-Rong; Singh, Upendra N.

    2004-01-01

    State of the art 2-micron lasers and other lidar components under development by NASA are being demonstrated and validated in a mobile test bed Doppler wind lidar. A lidar intercomparison facility has been developed to ensure parallel alignment of up to 4 Doppler lidar systems while measuring wind. Investigations of the new components; their operation in a complete system; systematic and random errors; the hybrid (joint coherent and direct detection) approach to global wind measurement; and atmospheric wind behavior are planned. Future uses of the VALIDAR (VALIDation LIDAR) mobile lidar may include comparison with the data from an airborne Doppler wind lidar in preparation for validation by the airborne system of an earth orbiting Doppler wind lidar sensor.

  14. Comparisons of Simultaneously Acquired Airborne Sfm Photogrammetry and Lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsen, C. F.

    2014-12-01

    Digital elevation models (DEMs) created using images from a consumer DSLR camera are compared against simultaneously acquired LiDAR on a number of airborne mapping projects across Alaska, California and Utah. The aircraft used is a Cessna 180, and is equipped with the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute (UAF-GI) scanning airborne LiDAR system. This LiDAR is the same as described in Johnson et al, 2013, and is the principal instrument used for NASA's Operation IceBridge flights in Alaska. The system has been in extensive use since 2009, and is particularly well characterized with dozens of calibration flights and a careful program of boresight angle determination and monitoring. The UAF-GI LiDAR has a precision of +/- 8 cm and accuracy of +/- 15 cm. The photogrammetry DEM simultaneously acquired with the LiDAR relies on precise shutter timing using an event marker input to the IMU associated with the LiDAR system. The photo positions are derived from the fully coupled GPS/IMU processing, which samples at 100 Hz and is able to directly calculate the antenna to image plane offset displacements from the full orientation data. This use of the GPS/IMU solution means that both the LiDAR and Cessna 180 photogrammetry DEM share trajectory input data, however no orientation data nor ground control is used for the photorammetry processing. The photogrammetry DEMs are overlaid on the LiDAR point cloud and analyzed for horizontal shifts or warps relative to the LiDAR. No warping or horizontal shifts have been detectable for a number of photogrammetry DEMs. Vertical offsets range from +/- 30 cm, with a typical standard deviation about that mean of 10 cm or better. LiDAR and photogrammetry function inherently differently over trees and brush, and direct comparisons between the two methods show much larger differences over vegetated areas. Finally, the differences in flight patterns associated with the two methods will be discussed, highlighting the photogrammetry

  15. Evaluation of three lidar scanning strategies for turbulence measurements

    DOE PAGES

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Klein, Petra M.; Wharton, Sonia; ...

    2016-05-03

    Several errors occur when a traditional Doppler beam swinging (DBS) or velocity–azimuth display (VAD) strategy is used to measure turbulence with a lidar. To mitigate some of these errors, a scanning strategy was recently developed which employs six beam positions to independently estimate the u, v, and w velocity variances and covariances. In order to assess the ability of these different scanning techniques to measure turbulence, a Halo scanning lidar, WindCube v2 pulsed lidar, and ZephIR continuous wave lidar were deployed at field sites in Oklahoma and Colorado with collocated sonic anemometers.Results indicate that the six-beam strategy mitigates some of the errors caused bymore » VAD and DBS scans, but the strategy is strongly affected by errors in the variance measured at the different beam positions. The ZephIR and WindCube lidars overestimated horizontal variance values by over 60 % under unstable conditions as a result of variance contamination, where additional variance components contaminate the true value of the variance. A correction method was developed for the WindCube lidar that uses variance calculated from the vertical beam position to reduce variance contamination in the u and v variance components. The correction method reduced WindCube variance estimates by over 20 % at both the Oklahoma and Colorado sites under unstable conditions, when variance contamination is largest. This correction method can be easily applied to other lidars that contain a vertical beam position and is a promising method for accurately estimating turbulence with commercially available lidars.« less

  16. Evaluation of three lidar scanning strategies for turbulence measurements

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Klein, Petra M.; Wharton, Sonia

    Several errors occur when a traditional Doppler beam swinging (DBS) or velocity–azimuth display (VAD) strategy is used to measure turbulence with a lidar. To mitigate some of these errors, a scanning strategy was recently developed which employs six beam positions to independently estimate the u, v, and w velocity variances and covariances. In order to assess the ability of these different scanning techniques to measure turbulence, a Halo scanning lidar, WindCube v2 pulsed lidar, and ZephIR continuous wave lidar were deployed at field sites in Oklahoma and Colorado with collocated sonic anemometers.Results indicate that the six-beam strategy mitigates some of the errors caused bymore » VAD and DBS scans, but the strategy is strongly affected by errors in the variance measured at the different beam positions. The ZephIR and WindCube lidars overestimated horizontal variance values by over 60 % under unstable conditions as a result of variance contamination, where additional variance components contaminate the true value of the variance. A correction method was developed for the WindCube lidar that uses variance calculated from the vertical beam position to reduce variance contamination in the u and v variance components. The correction method reduced WindCube variance estimates by over 20 % at both the Oklahoma and Colorado sites under unstable conditions, when variance contamination is largest. This correction method can be easily applied to other lidars that contain a vertical beam position and is a promising method for accurately estimating turbulence with commercially available lidars.« less

  17. Tracking aerosol plumes: lidar, modeling, and in situ measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calhoun, Ron J.; Heap, Robert; Sommer, Jeffrey; Princevac, Marko; Peccia, Jordan; Fernando, H.

    2004-09-01

    The authors report on recent progress of on-going research at Arizona State University for tracking aerosol plumes using remote sensing and modeling approaches. ASU participated in a large field experiment, Joint Urban 2003, focused on urban and suburban flows and dispersion phenomena which took place in Oklahoma City during summer 2003. A variety of instruments were deployed, including two Doppler-lidars. ASU deployed one lidar and the Army Research deployed the other. Close communication and collaboration has produced datasets which will be available for dual Doppler analysis. The lidars were situated in a way to provide insight into dynamical flow structures caused by the urban core. Complementary scanning by the two lidars during the July 4 firework display in Oklahoma City demonstrated that smoke plumes could be tracked through the atmosphere above the urban area. Horizontal advection and dispersion of the smoke plumes were tracked on two horizontal planes by the ASU lidar and in two vertical planes with a similar lidar operated by the Army Research Laboratory. A number of plume dispersion modeling systems are being used at ASU for the modeling of plumes in catastrophic release scenarios. Progress using feature tracking techniques and data fusion approaches is presented for utilizing single and dual radial velocity fields from coherent Doppler lidar to improve dispersion modeling. The possibility of producing sensor/computational tools for civil and military defense applications appears worth further investigation. An experiment attempting to characterize bioaerosol plumes (using both lidar and in situ biological measurements) associated with the application of biosolids on agricultural fields is in progress at the time of writing.

  18. The NASA Langley High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) - Advancements in Airborne DIAL Measurements of CH4 and H2O

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nehrir, A. R.; Hair, J. W.; Ferrare, R. A.; Hostetler, C. A.; Notari, A.; Collins, J. E., Jr.; Hare, R. J.; Harper, D. B.; Antill, C.; Cook, A. L.; Young, J.; Chuang, T.; Welch, W.

    2016-12-01

    Atmospheric methane (CH4) has the second largest radiative forcing of the long-lived greenhouse gasses (GHG) after carbon dioxide. However, methane's much shorter atmospheric lifetime and much stronger warming potential make its radiative forcing equivalent to that for CO2 over a 20-year time horizon which makes CH4 a particularly attractive target for mitigation strategies. Similar to CH4, water vapor (H2O) is the most dominant of the short-lived GHG in the atmosphere and plays a key role in many atmospheric processes. Atmospheric H2O concentrations span over four orders of magnitude from the planetary boundary layer where high impact weather initiates to lower levels in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere where water vapor has significant and long term impacts on the Earth's radiation budget. Active remote sensing employing the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique enables scientific assessments of both natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks of CH4 with high accuracy and precision as well as and its impacts on the climate. The DIAL technique also allows for profiling of tropospheric water vapor for weather and climate applications with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. NASA Langley is developing the High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) lidar system to address the observational needs of NASA's weather, climate, carbon cycle, and atmospheric composition focus areas. HALO is a multi-function airborne lidar being developed to measure atmospheric H2O and CH4 mixing ratios and aerosol and cloud optical properties using the DIAL and High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) techniques, respectively. HALO is designed as an airborne simulator for future space based DIAL missions and will serve as test bed for risk reduction of key technologies required of future space based GHG DIAL missions. A system level overview and up-to-date progress of the HALO lidar will be presented. Simulations on the expected accuracy and precision of HALO CH4

  19. Low-pass parabolic FFT filter for airborne and satellite lidar signal processing.

    PubMed

    Jiao, Zhongke; Liu, Bo; Liu, Enhai; Yue, Yongjian

    2015-10-14

    In order to reduce random errors of the lidar signal inversion, a low-pass parabolic fast Fourier transform filter (PFFTF) was introduced for noise elimination. A compact airborne Raman lidar system was studied, which applied PFFTF to process lidar signals. Mathematics and simulations of PFFTF along with low pass filters, sliding mean filter (SMF), median filter (MF), empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and wavelet transform (WT) were studied, and the practical engineering value of PFFTF for lidar signal processing has been verified. The method has been tested on real lidar signal from Wyoming Cloud Lidar (WCL). Results show that PFFTF has advantages over the other methods. It keeps the high frequency components well and reduces much of the random noise simultaneously for lidar signal processing.

  20. An error reduction algorithm to improve lidar turbulence estimates for wind energy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Clifton, Andrew

    Remote-sensing devices such as lidars are currently being investigated as alternatives to cup anemometers on meteorological towers for the measurement of wind speed and direction. Although lidars can measure mean wind speeds at heights spanning an entire turbine rotor disk and can be easily moved from one location to another, they measure different values of turbulence than an instrument on a tower. Current methods for improving lidar turbulence estimates include the use of analytical turbulence models and expensive scanning lidars. While these methods provide accurate results in a research setting, they cannot be easily applied to smaller, vertically profiling lidarsmore » in locations where high-resolution sonic anemometer data are not available. Thus, there is clearly a need for a turbulence error reduction model that is simpler and more easily applicable to lidars that are used in the wind energy industry. In this work, a new turbulence error reduction algorithm for lidars is described. The Lidar Turbulence Error Reduction Algorithm, L-TERRA, can be applied using only data from a stand-alone vertically profiling lidar and requires minimal training with meteorological tower data. The basis of L-TERRA is a series of physics-based corrections that are applied to the lidar data to mitigate errors from instrument noise, volume averaging, and variance contamination. These corrections are applied in conjunction with a trained machine-learning model to improve turbulence estimates from a vertically profiling WINDCUBE v2 lidar. The lessons learned from creating the L-TERRA model for a WINDCUBE v2 lidar can also be applied to other lidar devices. L-TERRA was tested on data from two sites in the Southern Plains region of the United States. The physics-based corrections in L-TERRA brought regression line slopes much closer to 1 at both sites and significantly reduced the sensitivity of lidar turbulence errors to atmospheric stability. The accuracy of machine

  1. An error reduction algorithm to improve lidar turbulence estimates for wind energy

    DOE PAGES

    Newman, Jennifer F.; Clifton, Andrew

    2017-02-10

    Remote-sensing devices such as lidars are currently being investigated as alternatives to cup anemometers on meteorological towers for the measurement of wind speed and direction. Although lidars can measure mean wind speeds at heights spanning an entire turbine rotor disk and can be easily moved from one location to another, they measure different values of turbulence than an instrument on a tower. Current methods for improving lidar turbulence estimates include the use of analytical turbulence models and expensive scanning lidars. While these methods provide accurate results in a research setting, they cannot be easily applied to smaller, vertically profiling lidarsmore » in locations where high-resolution sonic anemometer data are not available. Thus, there is clearly a need for a turbulence error reduction model that is simpler and more easily applicable to lidars that are used in the wind energy industry. In this work, a new turbulence error reduction algorithm for lidars is described. The Lidar Turbulence Error Reduction Algorithm, L-TERRA, can be applied using only data from a stand-alone vertically profiling lidar and requires minimal training with meteorological tower data. The basis of L-TERRA is a series of physics-based corrections that are applied to the lidar data to mitigate errors from instrument noise, volume averaging, and variance contamination. These corrections are applied in conjunction with a trained machine-learning model to improve turbulence estimates from a vertically profiling WINDCUBE v2 lidar. The lessons learned from creating the L-TERRA model for a WINDCUBE v2 lidar can also be applied to other lidar devices. L-TERRA was tested on data from two sites in the Southern Plains region of the United States. The physics-based corrections in L-TERRA brought regression line slopes much closer to 1 at both sites and significantly reduced the sensitivity of lidar turbulence errors to atmospheric stability. The accuracy of machine

  2. Coherent Doppler Lidar for Precision Navigation of Spacecrafts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amzajerdian, Farzin; Pierrottet, Diego; Petway, Larry; Hines, Glenn; Lockhard, George; Barnes, Bruce

    2011-01-01

    A fiber-based coherent Doppler lidar, utilizing an FMCW technique, has been developed and its capabilities demonstrated through two successful helicopter flight test campaigns. This Doppler lidar is expected to play a critical role in future planetary exploration missions because of its ability in providing the necessary data for soft landing on the planetary bodies and for landing missions requiring precision navigation to the designated location on the ground. Compared with radars, the Doppler lidar can provide significantly higher precision velocity and altitude data at a much higher rate without concerns for measurement ambiguity or target clutter. Future work calls for testing the Doppler lidar onboard a rocket-powered free-flyer platform operating in a closed-loop with the vehicle s guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) unit.

  3. Novel Methods for Measuring LiDAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayrey, E.; Hayes, D. J.; Fraver, S.; Weiskittel, A.; Cook, B.; Kershaw, J.

    2017-12-01

    The estimation of forest biometrics from airborne LiDAR data has become invaluable for quantifying forest carbon stocks, forest and wildlife ecology research, and sustainable forest management. The area-based approach is arguably the most common method for developing enhanced forest inventories from LiDAR. It involves taking a series of vertical height measurements of the point cloud, then using those measurements with field measured data to develop predictive models. Unfortunately, there is considerable variation in methodology for collecting point cloud data, which can vary in pulse density, seasonality, canopy penetrability, and instrument specifications. Today there exists a wealth of public LiDAR data, however the variation in acquisition parameters makes forest inventory prediction by traditional means unreliable across the different datasets. The goal of this project is to test a series of novel point cloud measurements developed along a conceptual spectrum of human interpretability, and then to use the best measurements to develop regional enhanced forest inventories on Northern New England's and Atlantic Canada's public LiDAR. Similarly to a field-based inventory, individual tree crowns are being segmented, and summary statistics are being used as covariates. Established competition and structural indices are being generated using each tree's relationship to one another, whilst existing allometric equations are being used to estimate diameter and biomass of each tree measured in the LiDAR. Novel metrics measuring light interception, clusteredness, and rugosity are also being measured as predictors. On the other end of the human interpretability spectrum, convolutional neural networks are being employed to directly measure both the canopy height model, and the point clouds by scanning each using two and three dimensional kernals trained to identify features useful for predicting biological attributes such as biomass. Predictive models will be trained and

  4. Lidar characterizations of atmospheric aerosols and clouds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrare, R. A.; Hostetler, C. A.; Hair, J. W.; Burton, S. P.

    2017-12-01

    Knowledge of the vertical profile, composition, concentration, and size distribution of aerosols is required to quantify the impacts of aerosols on human health, global and regional climate, clouds and precipitation. In particular, radiative forcing due to anthropogenic aerosols is the most uncertain part of anthropogenic radiative forcing, with aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) as the largest source of uncertainty in current estimates of global radiative forcing. Improving aerosol transport model predictions of the vertical profile of aerosol optical and microphysical characteristics is crucial for improving assessments of aerosol radiative forcing. Understanding how aerosols and clouds interact is essential for investigating the aerosol indirect effect and ACI. Through its ability to provide vertical profiles of aerosol and cloud distributions as well as important information regarding the optical and physical properties of aerosols and clouds, lidar is a crucial tool for addressing these science questions. This presentation describes how surface, airborne, and satellite lidar measurements have been used to address these questions, and in particular how High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) measurements provide profiles of aerosol properties (backscatter, extinction, depolarization, concentration, size) important for characterizing radiative forcing. By providing a direct measurement of aerosol extinction, HSRL provides more accurate aerosol measurement profiles and more accurate constraints for models than standard retrievals from elastic backscatter lidar, which loses accuracy and precision at lower altitudes due to attenuation from overlying layers. Information regarding particle size and abundance from advanced lidar retrievals provides better proxies for cloud-condensation-nuclei (CCN), which are required for assessing aerosol-cloud interactions. When combined with data from other sensors, advanced lidar measurements can provide information on aerosol and

  5. New generation lidar systems for eye safe full time observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spinhirne, James D.

    1995-01-01

    The traditional lidar over the last thirty years has typically been a big pulse low repetition rate system. Pulse energies are in the 0.1 to 1.0 J range and repetition rates from 0.1 to 10 Hz. While such systems have proven to be good research tools, they have a number of limitations that prevent them from moving beyond lidar research to operational, application oriented instruments. These problems include a lack of eye safety, very low efficiency, poor reliability, lack of ruggedness and high development and operating costs. Recent advances in solid state laser, detectors and data systems have enabled the development of a new generation of lidar technology that meets the need for routine, application oriented instruments. In this paper the new approaches to operational lidar systems will be discussed. Micro pulse lidar (MPL) systems are currently in use, and their technology is highlighted. The basis and current development of continuous wave (CW) lidar and potential of other technical approaches is presented.

  6. Optical amplifiers for coherent lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fork, Richard

    1996-01-01

    We examine application of optical amplification to coherent lidar for the case of a weak return signal (a number of quanta of the return optical field close to unity). We consider the option that has been explored to date, namely, incorporation of an optical amplifier operated in a linear manner located after reception of the signal and immediately prior to heterodyning and photodetection. We also consider alternative strategies where the coherent interaction, the nonlinear processes, and the amplification are not necessarily constrained to occur in the manner investigated to date. We include the complications that occur because of mechanisms that occur at the level of a few, or one, quantum excitation. Two factors combine in the work to date that limit the value of the approach. These are: (1) the weak signal tends to require operation of the amplifier in the linear regime where the important advantages of nonlinear optical processing are not accessed, (2) the linear optical amplifier has a -3dB noise figure (SN(out)/SN(in)) that necessarily degrades the signal. Some improvement is gained because the gain provided by the optical amplifier can be used to overcome losses in the heterodyned process and photodetection. The result, however, is that introduction of an optical amplifier in a well optimized coherent lidar system results in, at best, a modest improvement in signal to noise. Some improvement may also be realized on incorporating more optical components in a coherent lidar system for purely practical reasons. For example, more compact, lighter weight, components, more robust alignment, or more rapid processing may be gained. We further find that there remain a number of potentially valuable, but unexplored options offered both by the rapidly expanding base of optical technology and the recent investigation of novel nonlinear coherent interference phenomena occurring at the single quantum excitation level. Key findings are: (1) insertion of linear optical

  7. Assessment and Optimization of Lidar Measurement Availability for Wind Turbine Control: Preprint

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davoust, S.; Jehu, A.; Bouillet, M.

    2014-05-01

    Turbine-mounted lidars provide preview measurements of the incoming wind field. By reducing loads on critical components and increasing the potential power extracted from the wind, the performance of wind turbine controllers can be improved [2]. As a result, integrating a light detection and ranging (lidar) system has the potential to lower the cost of wind energy. This paper presents an evaluation of turbine-mounted lidar availability. Availability is a metric which measures the proportion of time the lidar is producing controller-usable data, and is essential when a wind turbine controller relies on a lidar. To accomplish this, researchers from Avent Lidarmore » Technology and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory first assessed and modeled the effect of extreme atmospheric events. This shows how a multirange lidar delivers measurements for a wide variety of conditions. Second, by using a theoretical approach and conducting an analysis of field feedback, we investigated the effects of the lidar setup on the wind turbine. This helps determine the optimal lidar mounting position at the back of the nacelle, and establishes a relationship between availability, turbine rpm, and lidar sampling time. Lastly, we considered the role of the wind field reconstruction strategies and the turbine controller on the definition and performance of a lidar's measurement availability.« less

  8. An Improved Calibration Method for a Rotating 2D LIDAR System

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Yadan; Yu, Heng; Song, Shuang; Lin, Mingqiang; Sun, Bo; Jiang, Wei; Meng, Max Q.-H.

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents an improved calibration method of a rotating two-dimensional light detection and ranging (R2D-LIDAR) system, which can obtain the 3D scanning map of the surroundings. The proposed R2D-LIDAR system, composed of a 2D LIDAR and a rotating unit, is pervasively used in the field of robotics owing to its low cost and dense scanning data. Nevertheless, the R2D-LIDAR system must be calibrated before building the geometric model because there are assembled deviation and abrasion between the 2D LIDAR and the rotating unit. Hence, the calibration procedures should contain both the adjustment between the two devices and the bias of 2D LIDAR itself. The main purpose of this work is to resolve the 2D LIDAR bias issue with a flat plane based on the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm. Experimental results for the calibration of the R2D-LIDAR system prove the reliability of this strategy to accurately estimate sensor offsets with the error range from −15 mm to 15 mm for the performance of capturing scans. PMID:29414885

  9. Coherent lidar design and performance verification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frehlich, Rod

    1993-01-01

    The verification of LAWS beam alignment in space can be achieved by a measurement of heterodyne efficiency using the surface return. The crucial element is a direct detection signal that can be identified for each surface return. This should be satisfied for LAWS but will not be satisfied for descoped LAWS. The performance of algorithms for velocity estimation can be described with two basic parameters: the number of coherently detected photo-electrons per estimate and the number of independent signal samples per estimate. The average error of spectral domain velocity estimation algorithms are bounded by a new periodogram Cramer-Rao Bound. Comparison of the periodogram CRB with the exact CRB indicates a factor of two improvement in velocity accuracy is possible using non-spectral domain estimators. This improvement has been demonstrated with a maximum-likelihood estimator. The comparison of velocity estimation algorithms for 2 and 10 micron coherent lidar was performed by assuming all the system design parameters are fixed and the signal statistics are dominated by a 1 m/s rms wind fluctuation over the range gate. The beam alignment requirements for 2 micron are much more severe than for a 10 micron lidar. The effects of the random backscattered field on estimating the alignment error is a major problem for space based lidar operation, especially if the heterodyne efficiency cannot be estimated. For LAWS, the biggest science payoff would result from a short transmitted pulse, on the order of 0.5 microseconds instead of 3 microseconds. The numerically errors for simulation of laser propagation in the atmosphere have been determined as a joint project with the University of California, San Diego. Useful scaling laws were obtained for Kolmogorov atmospheric refractive turbulence and an atmospheric refractive turbulence characterized with an inner scale. This permits verification of the simulation procedure which is essential for the evaluation of the effects of

  10. Evaluating Several Hundred Predictors for Suspended Particulate Matter in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Using Inherent and Apparent Optical Properties & Considering Their Applicability for Use With Bathymetric Lidar Surveys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Epps, S. A.

    2017-12-01

    Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is an important agent in generating marine light conditions which in turn have strong influences on biogeochemical systems. SPM also behaves as a vehicle for contaminant migration and is of interest to the estimation of bulk material transport in the marine environment. The measurement of inherent optical properties (IOPs) and apparent optical properties (AOPs) is becoming increasingly important in the prediction of SPM concentration. To more fully utilize data generated in bathymetric lidar surveys, modern systems such as CZMIL (the Coastal Zone Mapping Imaging LIDAR) include a hyperspectral sensor to collect data necessary for remote sensing reflectance (Rrs), an AOP. Some IOPs can be estimated can be estimated from Rrs. Additionally, a bathymetric lidar return signal contains both absorption and backscattering components (IOPs) at 532 nm which may be utilized for SPM prediction. This research utilizes IOP measurements using AC-9, AC-S, BB-9, and LISST-100X-B sensors deployed in the Northern Gulf of Mexico concurrent with SPM collection via filtration. Concomitant Rrs values were collected using a hand held hyperspectral sensor. Several hundred linearly regressed single-parameter estimates are created to predict SPM concentration using the IOPs attenuation, total scatter, backscatter, absorption and significant amalgamations thereof. Multiple wavelengths of light are analyzed for each IOP or IOP combination. Consideration is given to the suitability of each IOP type to SPM concentration prediction. Several criteria are assessed to winnow out the best predictors. These include sensor, data, and environmental limitations. The quantitative analyses of this research assist to identify the best types of IOPs (and wavelengths) for SPM prediction. Rrs at multiple wavelengths is also considered for SPM prediction. This research is focused on the functionality of IOP and AOP based SPM concentration predictions made available from the

  11. Aerosol characteristics inversion based on the improved lidar ratio profile with the ground-based rotational Raman-Mie lidar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ji, Hongzhu; Zhang, Yinchao; Chen, Siying; Chen, He; Guo, Pan

    2018-06-01

    An iterative method, based on a derived inverse relationship between atmospheric backscatter coefficient and aerosol lidar ratio, is proposed to invert the lidar ratio profile and aerosol extinction coefficient. The feasibility of this method is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Simulation results show the inversion accuracy of aerosol optical properties for iterative method can be improved in the near-surface aerosol layer and the optical thick layer. Experimentally, as a result of the reduced insufficiency error and incoherence error, the aerosol optical properties with higher accuracy can be obtained in the near-surface region and the region of numerical derivative distortion. In addition, the particle component can be distinguished roughly based on this improved lidar ratio profile.

  12. What Good is Raman Water Vapor Lidar?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitman, David

    2011-01-01

    Raman lidar has been used to quantify water vapor in the atmosphere for various scientific studies including mesoscale meteorology and satellite validation. Now the international networks of NDACC and GRUAN have interest in using Raman water vapor lidar for detecting trends in atmospheric water vapor concentrations. What are the data needs for addressing these very different measurement challenges. We will review briefly the scientific needs for water vapor accuracy for each of these three applications and attempt to translate that into performance specifications for Raman lidar in an effort to address the question in the title of "What good is Raman water vapor Iidar."

  13. Fiber-Optic Gratings for Lidar Measurements of Water Vapor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vann, Leila B.; DeYoung, Russell J.

    2006-01-01

    Narrow-band filters in the form of phase-shifted Fabry-Perot Bragg gratings incorporated into optical fibers are being developed for differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) instruments used to measure concentrations of atmospheric water vapor. The basic idea is to measure the relative amounts of pulsed laser light scattered from the atmosphere at two nearly equal wavelengths, one of which coincides with an absorption spectral peak of water molecules and the other corresponding to no water vapor absorption. As part of the DIAL measurement process, the scattered light is made to pass through a filter on the way to a photodetector. Omitting other details of DIAL for the sake of brevity, what is required of the filter is to provide a stop band that: Surrounds the water-vapor spectral absorption peaks at a wavelength of 946 nm, Has a spectral width of at least a couple of nanometers, Contains a pass band preferably no wider than necessary to accommodate the 946.0003-nm-wavelength water vapor absorption peak [which has 8.47 pm full width at half maximum (FWHM)], and Contains another pass band at the slightly shorter wavelength of 945.9 nm, where there is scattering of light from aerosol particles but no absorption by water molecules. Whereas filters used heretofore in DIAL have had bandwidths of =300 pm, recent progress in the art of fiber-optic Bragg-grating filters has made it feasible to reduce bandwidths to less than or equal to 20 pm and thereby to reduce background noise. Another benefit of substituting fiber-optic Bragg-grating filters for those now in use would be significant reductions in the weights of DIAL instruments. Yet another advantage of fiber-optic Bragg-grating filters is that their transmission spectra can be shifted to longer wavelengths by heating or stretching: hence, it is envisioned that future DIAL instruments would contain devices for fine adjustment of transmission wavelengths through stretching or heating of fiber-optic Bragg-grating filters

  14. New lidar challenges for gas hazard management in industrial environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cézard, Nicolas; Liméry, Anasthase; Bertrand, Johan; Le Méhauté, Simon; Benoit, Philippe; Fleury, Didier; Goular, Didier; Planchat, Christophe; Valla, Matthieu; Augère, Béatrice; Dolfi-Bouteyre, Agnès.

    2017-10-01

    The capability of Lidars to perform range-resolved gas profiles makes them an appealing choice for many applications. In order to address new remote sensing challenges, arising from industrial contexts, Onera currently develops two lidar systems, one Raman and one DIAL. On the Raman side, a high spatial-resolution multi-channel Raman Lidar is developed in partnership with the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra). This development aims at enabling future monitoring of hydrogen gas and water vapor profiles inside disposal cells containing radioactive wastes. We report on the development and first tests of a three-channel Raman Lidar (H2, H2O, N2) designed to address this issue. Simultaneous hydrogen and water vapor profiles have been successfully performed along a 5m-long gas cell with 1m resolution at a distance of 85 m. On the DIAL side, a new instrumental concept is being explored and developed in partnership with Total E and P. The objective is to perform methane plume monitoring and flux assessment in the vicinity of industrials plants or platforms. For flux assessment, both gas concentration and air speed must be profiled by lidar. Therefore, we started developing a bi-function, all-fiber, coherent DIAL/Doppler Lidar. The first challenge was to design and build an appropriate fiber laser source. The achieved demonstrator delivers 200 W peak power, polarized, spectrally narrow (<15 MHz), 110 ns pulses of light out of a monomode fiber at 1645 nm. It fulfills the requirements for a future implementation in a bi-function Dial/Doppler lidar with km-range expectation. We report on the laser and lidar architecture, and on first lidar tests at 1645 nm.

  15. Waveform LiDAR across forest biomass gradients

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montesano, P. M.; Nelson, R. F.; Dubayah, R.; Sun, G.; Ranson, J.

    2011-12-01

    Detailed information on the quantity and distribution of aboveground biomass (AGB) is needed to understand how it varies across space and changes over time. Waveform LiDAR data is routinely used to derive the heights of scattering elements in each illuminated footprint, and the vertical structure of vegetation is related to AGB. Changes in LiDAR waveforms across vegetation structure gradients can demonstrate instrument sensitivity to land cover transitions. A close examination of LiDAR waveforms in footprints across a forest gradient can provide new insight into the relationship of vegetation structure and forest AGB. In this study we use field measurements of individual trees within Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) footprints along transects crossing forest to non-forest gradients to examine changes in LVIS waveform characteristics at sites with low (< 50Mg/ha) AGB. We relate field AGB measurements to original and adjusted LVIS waveforms to detect the forest AGB interval along a forest - non-forest transition in which the LVIS waveform lose the ability to discern differences in AGB. Our results help identify the lower end the forest biomass range that a ~20m footprint waveform LiDAR can detect, which can help infer accumulation of biomass after disturbances and during forest expansion, and which can guide the use of LiDAR within a multi-sensor fusion biomass mapping approach.

  16. Atmospheric Turbulence Estimates from a Pulsed Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pruis, Matthew J.; Delisi, Donald P.; Ahmad, Nash'at N.; Proctor, Fred H.

    2013-01-01

    Estimates of the eddy dissipation rate (EDR) were obtained from measurements made by a coherent pulsed lidar and compared with estimates from mesoscale model simulations and measurements from an in situ sonic anemometer at the Denver International Airport and with EDR estimates from the last observation time of the trailing vortex pair. The estimates of EDR from the lidar were obtained using two different methodologies. The two methodologies show consistent estimates of the vertical profiles. Comparison of EDR derived from the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) mesoscale model with the in situ lidar estimates show good agreement during the daytime convective boundary layer, but the WRF simulations tend to overestimate EDR during the nighttime. The EDR estimates from a sonic anemometer located at 7.3 meters above ground level are approximately one order of magnitude greater than both the WRF and lidar estimates - which are from greater heights - during the daytime convective boundary layer and substantially greater during the nighttime stable boundary layer. The consistency of the EDR estimates from different methods suggests a reasonable ability to predict the temporal evolution of a spatially averaged vertical profile of EDR in an airport terminal area using a mesoscale model during the daytime convective boundary layer. In the stable nighttime boundary layer, there may be added value to EDR estimates provided by in situ lidar measurements.

  17. Landslides Mapped from LIDAR Imagery, Kitsap County, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McKenna, Jonathan P.; Lidke, David J.; Coe, Jeffrey A.

    2008-01-01

    Landslides are a recurring problem on hillslopes throughout the Puget Lowland, Washington, but can be difficult to identify in the densely forested terrain. However, digital terrain models of the bare-earth surface derived from LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) data express topographic details sufficiently well to identify landslides. Landslides and escarpments were mapped using LIDAR imagery and field checked (when permissible and accessible) throughout Kitsap County. We relied almost entirely on derivatives of LIDAR data for our mapping, including topographic-contour, slope, and hill-shaded relief maps. Each mapped landslide was assigned a level of 'high' or 'moderate' confidence based on the LIDAR characteristics and on field observations. A total of 231 landslides were identified representing 0.8 percent of the land area of Kitsap County. Shallow debris topples along the coastal bluffs and large (>10,000 m2) landslide complexes are the most common types of landslides. The smallest deposit mapped covers an area of 252 m2, while the largest covers 0.5 km2. Previous mapping efforts that relied solely on field and photogrammetric methods identified only 57 percent of the landslides mapped by LIDAR (61 percent high confidence and 39 percent moderate confidence), although nine landslides previously identified were not mapped during this study. The remaining 43 percent identified using LIDAR have 13 percent high confidence and 87 percent moderate confidence. Coastal areas are especially susceptible to landsliding; 67 percent of the landslide area that we mapped lies within 500 meters of the present coastline. The remaining 33 percent are located along drainages farther inland. The LIDAR data we used for mapping have some limitations including (1) rounding of the interface area between low slope surfaces and vertical faces (that is, along the edges of steep escarpments) which results in scarps being mapped too far headward (one or two meters), (2) incorrect laser

  18. New Mobile Lidar Systems Aboard Ultra-Light Aircrafts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chazette, Patrick; Shang, Xiaoxia; Totems, Julien; Marnas, Fabien; Sanak, Joseph

    2013-04-01

    Two lidar systems embedded on ultra light aircraft (ULA) flew over the Rhone valley, south-east of France, to characterize the vertical extend of pollution aerosols in this area influenced by large industrial sites. The main industrial source is the Etang de Berre (43°28' N, 5°01' E), close to Marseille city. The emissions are mainly due to metallurgy and petrochemical factories. Traffic related to Marseille's area contribute to pollution with its ~1500000 inhabitants. Note that the maritime traffic close to Marseille may play an important role due to its position as the leading French harbor . For the previous scientific purpose and for the first time on ULA, we flew a mini-N2 Raman lidar system to help the assessment of the aerosol optical properties. Another Ultra-Violet Rayleigh-Mie lidar has been integrated aboard a second ULA. The lidars are compact and eye safe instruments. They operate at the wavelength of 355 nm with a sampling along the line-of-sight of 0.75 m. Different flights plans were tested to use the two lidars in synergy. We will present the different approaches and discuss both their advantages and limitations. Acknowledgements: the lidar systems have been developed by CEA. They have been deployed with the support of FERRING France. We acknowledge the ULA pilots Franck Toussaint, François Bernard and José Coutet, and the Air Creation ULA Company for logistical help during the ULA campaign.

  19. Conically scanned lidar telescope using holographic optical elements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwemmer, Geary K.; Wilkerson, Thomas D.

    1992-01-01

    Holographic optical elements (HOE) using volume phase holograms make possible a new class of lightweight scanning telescopes having advantages for lidar remote sensing instruments. So far, the only application of HOE's to lidar has been a non-scanning receiver for a laser range finder. We introduce a large aperture, narrow field of view (FOV) telescope used in a conical scanning configuration, having a much smaller rotating mass than in conventional designs. Typically, lidars employ a large aperture collector and require a narrow FOV to limit the amount of skylight background. Focal plane techniques are not good approaches to scanning because they require a large FOV within which to scan a smaller FOV mirror or detector array. Thus, scanning lidar systems have either used a large flat scanning mirror at which the receiver telescope is pointed, or the entire telescope is steered. We present a concept for a conically scanned lidar telescope in which the only moving part is the HOE which serves as the primary collecting optic. We also describe methods by which a multiplexed HOE can be used simultaneously as a dichroic beamsplitter.

  20. High Density Lidar and Orthophotography in UXO Wide Area Assessment (Rev 1)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-08-01

    The demonstration provided important insights regarding the appropriate uses and confidence levels for both lidar and orthophoto technologies. At...Patterns ................................................................................ 3-34 3.7.18 Lidar and Orthophoto Positional Accuracy...02-D-2008 Page iii CONTENTS (Continued) APPENDICES A Lidar and Orthophoto Positional Accuracy Results B Combining Lidar Data from Multiple