Airborne DIAL and ground-based Raman lidar measurements of water vapor over the Southern Great Plains

Abstract

Measurements of water vapor profiles over the Southern Great Plains acquired by two different lidars are presented. NASA's airborne DIAL Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) system measured water vapor, aerosol, and cloud profiles during the ARM/FIRE Water Vapor Experiment (AFWEX) in November-December 2000 and during the International H2O Project (IHOP) in May-June 2002. LASE measurements acquired during AFWEX are used to characterize upper troposphere water vapor measured by ground-based Raman lidars, radiosondes, and in situ aircraft sensors. LASE measurements acquired during IHOP are being used to better understand the influence water vapor variability on the initiation of deep convection and to improve the quantification and prediction of precipitation associated with these storms. The automated Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) Raman Lidar (CARL) has been routinely measuring profiles of water vapor mixing ratio, relative humidity, aerosol extinction, aerosol backscattering, and aerosol and cloud depolarization during both daytime and nighttime operations. Aerosol and water vapor profiles acquired since March 1998 are used to investigate the seasonal variability of the vertical distributions of water vapor and aerosols.