CAREER: Developing New Airborne Cloud, Aerosol and Water Vapor Observation Capabilities by Synergizing Remote Sensors and in Situ Probes on the University of Wyoming King Air

该项目的研究目标是通过开发两个新的机载激光雷达系统，提高怀俄明州大学（UW）空中国王研究飞机对云、气溶胶和水汽观测的能力。 仪器的开发与一些检索算法的开发相结合，联合收割机多个遥感器测量和其他联合收割机遥感和现场测量相结合。 项目的目标是：1）一个紧凑的机载弹性激光雷达，与怀俄明州云雷达、183 GHz辐射计和现场云和降水探测器一起用于研究云的过程和性质;2）提供冰云、混合相云和暖云的微物理性质的反演算法，包括：冰水含量、冰粒有效半径、液态水路径、水滴有效半径和毛毛雨大小; 3）小型机载拉曼激光雷达系统和相关的数据处理/分析软件，用于测量气溶胶后向散射和消光系数，并导出边界层中的水蒸气混合比廓线;并进行探索性实验，测试和改进两台激光雷达和微波辐射计，并收集算法开发和验证的数据;（5）中层的演变研究，混合-该项目的主要智力价值是开发先进的机载观测仪器套件和相关的数据处理算法，为研究气溶胶的直接和间接效应、云微物理过程以及陆-气和海气相互作用提供更好的观测。这项工作的更广泛影响包括：1）增强了UW King Air研究飞机作为现场/遥感综合平台的能力。 在这些能力的开发和演示之后，它们将作为UW King Air国家设施的一部分提供给大气研究界（国家科学基金会支持的低层大气观测设施）。2）利用新的观测能力，帮助提高我们对云、气溶胶和边界层过程的认识，这是需要自信地预测人类对气候的影响。3）培训下一代研究人员使用观测来解决当前的科学问题。4）加强大气观测课程和教学在华盛顿大学。

The research goal of this project is to advance the capabilities of the University of Wyoming (UW) King Air research aircraft for cloud, aerosol, and water vapor observations through the development of two new airborne lidar systems. The instrument development is coupled with development of some retrieval algorithms that combine multiple remote sensor measurements and others that combine remotely sensed and in situ measurements. Project objectives are to develop:1) a compact airborne elastic lidar to be used onboard the UW King Air alongside the Wyoming cloud radar, a 183 GHz radiometer, and in situ cloud and precipitation probes for studying cloud processes and properties;2) retrieval algorithms to provide cloud microphysical properties in ice-, mixed-phase, and warm clouds including: ice water content, ice particle effective radius, liquid water path, water droplet effective radius, and drizzle size;3) a compact airborne Raman lidar system and associated data processing/analysis software to measure aerosol backscattering and extinction coefficients and to derive water vapor mixing ratio profiles in the boundary layer; and to conduct4) exploratory experiments to test and refine the two lidars plus the microwave radiometer, and to collect data for algorithm development and validation; 5) studies of the evolution of mid-level, mixed-phase clouds using these new observational capabilities.The main intellectual merit of this project is development of an advanced airborne observation instrumentation suite and associated data processing algorithms that will be capable of providing better observations to study the aerosol direct and indirect effects, cloud microphysical processes, and land-atmosphere and air-sea interactions.Broader impacts of this work include:1) Enhancing the capabilities of the UW King Air research aircraft as a combined in situ/ remote sensing platform. Following the development and demonstration of these capabilities, they will become available to the atmospheric research community as part of the UW King Air national facility (A NSF-supported, lower-atmosphere observing facility).2) Use of the new observational capabilities to help improve our of understanding of clouds, aerosols, and boundary layer processes, which are needed to confidently predict human impacts on climate.3) Training the next generation of researchers to use observations to address current science questions.4) Strengthening the atmospheric observation curricula and teaching at UW.