Experiments in the atmospheres of Earth and Mars

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This research involves using lasers to study the atmospheres of Earth and Mars. The basic method is that the laser will emit pulses of light into the atmosphere and the backscattered light will be recorded as a function of time, or equivalently distance. Vertical profiles of laser backscatter are recorded sequentially in time and this provides a continuous view of the dust and cloud layers that drift past. This technique is called lidar, for light detection and ranging. The research program consists of four separate projects. The main project involves a lidar system on a spacecraft that will land on Mars. This is the Phoenix mission that will be launched in August 2007 and land in May 2008. The lidar will be used to investigate the atmospheric processes that determine the climate and movement of water within the Martian atmosphere. The other projects involve measurements from airplanes in the atmosphere of the Earth to observe the effects of thunderstorms. One of these projects concerns studying the role that tropical thunderstorms play in transporting water to very high altitudes and influencing the climate. Another project will investigate a different type of thunderstorm that forms above forest fires in the north of Canada and injects pollution into the stratosphere. The forth project is focused on thunderstorms in southern Ontario and the effect on local air quality and long range pollution transport.