MRI: Acquisition of a Portable Compact Doppler Wind and Aerosol Lidar for Research Enhancements in Boundary Layer Meteorology, Air Quality, and Cloud Physics

这项工作旨在获得一台紧凑型风气溶胶激光雷达(CWAL)，以加强大气边界层(ABL)气象学、空气质量和云物理等一般领域的研究活动。我们将根据研究应用的不同，通过在三个不同的平台上安装CWAL来优化其利用：(I)在阿拉巴马大学亨茨维尔分校(UAH)S克拉默大厅的屋顶上，毗邻现有的臭氧微分吸收激光雷达(DIAL)，在那里它将从各个方向看到绝佳的地平线；(Ii)在移动综合轮廓系统的新面包车上，它将补充和增强来自其他MIPS仪器的测量；智能优点：CWAL将通过在130米AGL以下的表层增加高分辨率风廓线能力来增强MIPS风廓线测量能力，而现有的915 MHz多普勒风廓线仪无法对其进行采样。同样，CWAL将在低层大气中提供共同记录的垂直速度和后向散射强度的测量，这将有助于解释从UAH臭氧DIAL提取的低层臭氧。除了加强MIPS和臭氧刻度盘的测量能力外，利用该设备的研究项目将增进对以下方面的了解：a)边界层过程，包括会聚边界区、重力波现象、对流启动和ABL过程对龙卷风发生的影响；b)与ABL和自由大气之间的臭氧和汞物质的输送有关的边界层过程，以及对流层低层中分层臭氧层的发展；C)大气边界层内气溶胶的可变性及其对大气的影响，包括能见度的降低；d)与MCS、中纬度气旋和热带气旋有关的层状降水中的降水过程和雨滴大小分布。该研究小组在为各种项目维护、部署和分析来自移动剖面设备、雷达和激光雷达的数据方面积累了相当多的经验(14-19年)。广泛影响：我们预计UAH内外的许多大气科学家和学生将受益于CWAL，以及MIPS和臭氧DIAL的增强能力。全面的测量(和潜在的全天候能力)增加了偶然发现的可能性，这是推动科学进步的重要组成部分。MIPS(或单独的CWAL)将作为先进的移动大气剖面平台提供给大气科学界。UAH在研究生水平的课程中使用剖面和扫描遥感仪器，为学生提供进行涉及仪器操作、实验设计和数据分析的科学实验的实践经验。来自CWAL的科学研究将有助于改进对流模拟、强风暴、空气质量(包括臭氧)以及非均匀(对流和夜间)边界层中(潜在有毒物质)的输送和扩散特征的预报。

This work seeks to acquire a Compact Wind and Aerosol Lidar (CWAL) to enhance research activities in the general areas of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) meteorology, air quality, and cloud physics. We will optimize the utilization of the CWAL by installing it on three different platforms, depending on the research application: (i) on the roof of University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH)'s Cramer Hall, adjacent to an existing ozone differential absorption lidar (DIAL), where it will have an excellent view of the horizon in all directions; (ii) on top of a new van of the Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS), where it will supplement and enhance measurements from other MIPS instruments; and (iii) on top of a smaller van, where it will serve as a highly mobile and independent CWAL lidar facility.Intellectual Merit: The CWAL will enhance MIPS wind profile measurements by adding a high-resolution wind profiling capability within the surface layer below 130 m AGL, which the existing 915 MHz Doppler wind profiler does not sample. Likewise, the CWAL will provide co-registered vertical velocity and backscatter intensity measurements within the lower atmosphere that will facilitate interpretation of low-level ozone retrievals from the UAH ozone DIAL.In addition to enhancing the measurement capabilities of the MIPS and ozone DIAL, research projects utilizing this equipment will improve understanding of: a) boundary layer processes, including convergent boundary zones, gravity wave phenomena, convective initiation and the impacts of ABL processes on tornadogenesis; b) boundary layer processes associated with the transport of ozone and mercury species between the ABL and free atmosphere, and the development of stratified ozone layers in the lower troposphere; c) variability of aerosols within the ABL and their impact on the atmosphere, including degradation of visibility; d) precipitation processes and drop size distributions within stratiform precipitation associated with MCS's, midlatitude cyclones, and tropical cyclones. The research group has acquired considerable experience (14-19 years) in maintaining, deploying and analyzing data from mobile profiling equipment, radars, and lidars for a wide variety of projects.Broader Impacts: We anticipate that numerous atmospheric scientists and students within and outside of UAH will benefit from the CWAL, and enhanced capabilities of the MIPS and ozoneDIAL. The comprehensive measurements (and the potential 24/7 capability) increase the probability of serendipitous discoveries, which is an important component in advancing science. The MIPS (or CWAL individually) will be available to the atmospheric science community as an advanced mobile atmospheric profiling platform. Profiling and scanning remote sensing instruments at UAH are used in graduate level courses to provide students with hands on experience in conducting scientific experiments involving instrument operation, experimental design, and analysis of data. Scientific research stemming from the CWAL will contribute to improvements in forecasting of convective imitation, severe storms, air quality (including ozone), and transport and dispersion characteristics (of potentially toxic materials) in heterogeneous (convective and nocturnal) boundary layers.