Turbulence Measurements in the Convective Boundary Layer with a Short-Pulse CO2 Doppler Lidar

Abstract

A pulsed, coherent CO2 Doppler lidar (Hardesty et al., 1983, 1987) will attempt a conical scan technique to measure turbulence and momentum fluxes in the convective boundary layer. Kropfli (1986) has shown success with this method using a Doppler radar in the convective boundary layer, but the lidar has an advantage in relying on the ubiquitous aerosol particles as tracers of air motion in a variety of meteorological conditions. We describe the data acquisition and processing methodology, progress in optimizing the lidar's spatial resolution, and the planned field measurement program.