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种新的机载激光雷达系统，提高怀俄明大学（UW） King Air研究飞机在云、气溶胶和水蒸气观测方面的能力。仪器的发展与一些检索算法的发展相结合，这些算法结合了多个遥感测量和其他结合了遥感和原位测量的检索算法。项目目标是开发：1)紧凑型机载弹性激光雷达，与怀俄明州云雷达、183 GHz辐射计以及用于研究云过程和特性的原位云和降水探测器一起使用；2)提供冰相、混合相和暖云中云微物理特性的检索算法，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)一个紧凑的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，并得出边界层的水汽混合比曲线；并进行探索性实验，对两个激光雷达和微波辐射计进行测试和完善，并收集数据进行算法开发和验证；5)利用这些新的观测能力研究中层混合相云的演变。该项目的主要智力优势是开发了先进的机载观测仪器套件和相关的数据处理算法，这将能够为研究气溶胶的直接和间接影响、云微物理过程以及陆地-大气和空气-海洋相互作用提供更好的观测。这项工作的更广泛影响包括：1)增强华盛顿大学“空中之王”研究飞机作为原位/遥感综合平台的能力。随着这些能力的发展和演示，它们将作为华盛顿大学国王航空国家设施（美国国家科学基金会支持的低层大气观测设施）的一部分提供给大气研究界。2)利用新的观测能力来帮助提高我们对云、气溶胶和边界层过程的理解，这是自信地预测人类对气候影响所必需的。3)训练下一代研究人员利用观察来解决当前的科学问题。4)加强西澳大学大气观测课程与教学。

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.