Why do we need vertical profiles of the atmospheric boundary layer? Measuring atmospheric conditions at different heights is crucial for improving the forecast of weather, air quality, and future climate predictions. The observations help improve our understanding of key atmospheric processes. So what are the variables of interest? We measure vertical profiles of aerosol and cloud characteristics, wind, turbulence, air temperature, and humidity. In the ABL these variables can be obtained from profiling instruments such as Automatic Lidar Ceilometer (ALC), Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL), and other research lidars, Doppler Cloud Radar (DCR), Microwave Radiometer (MWR), Radar Wind Profiler (RWP), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

In this introductory lecture, the PROBE experts described how these instruments work, what they observe, and what advanced products can be obtained. A few example applications of the ABL profiling techniques were highlighted.

Youtube video of the lecture

PDF of the presentation: available for PROBE users in the reserved area here. You are not a PROBE user yet? join us!

ABSTRACT:

Ground-based atmospheric remote sensing has seen great technological advances in recent years. Now there is a range of instruments that we can use to monitor atmospheric conditions not only at the surface but throughout the atmospheric boundary layer (and beyond). So what are the state-of-the-art means to measure vertical profiles of aerosol, wind, turbulence, air temperature, humidity, and cloud characteristics? In the first PROBE Introductory Lecture, we are giving you an update on the latest instrument developments, highlighting the capabilities and challenges of the various profiling sensors currently available. These include microwave radiometers (MWR), Doppler wind lidars (DWL), radar wind profilers (RWP), Doppler cloud radars (DCR), automatic lidars, and ceilometers (ALC), other lidars, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).