Advances in acoustic remote sensing of the atmosphere at the IAO SBaa RAS

Abstract

Advances in acoustic remote sensing of the atmosphere made at the Institute of Atmospheric Optics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Tomsk, Russia) for a 24-year period are considered. Sodars developed at the IAO are described. Results of theoretical analysis of methods for acoustic sounding of the atmosphere are presented including the interaction of the acoustic radiation with the atmosphere, optimization of the sodar parameters, and accuracy of sodar measurements of the atmospheric parameters. The emphasis is on investigations of the effect of acoustic refraction on the sodar operation as well as on search for new information capabilities in acoustic sounding. Results of investigations of the parameters of the atmospheric boundary layer above dry land and ocean and airports with the sodars developed at the IAO are given. Sodar-derived data are compared with the results of lidar sensing and ballon and radiozonde measurements of the atmospheric parameters.