Field-Worthy UV Backscatter Lidar for Cirrus Studies

Cirrus clouds are an important element in atmospheric radiative transfer and impact both climate and climate change. In recent years, the spatial coverage and frequency of cirrus clouds has been increasing. Therefore, new instrumentation is needed to measure the occurrence and spatial extent of these clouds, in order to develop a database for climate modelers. To address this need, this project will develop and demonstrate a compact UV lidar that will utilize an all-solid-state UV laser for the transmitter. The UV lidar will provide a new capability to monitor subvisual cirrus clouds as compared to the existing MicroPulse Lidar. Phase I will demonstrate key components for an air-cooled UV laser that will serve as the heart of the new lidar. The required power and pulse repetition frequency will be demonstrated. Finally, a complete conceptual design for a field-prototype, UV backscatter lidar will be developed and used to fabricate and test the prototype in Phase II. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the Applicant: The new, highly compact lidar system should fulfill an important near-term need for a highly autonomous sensor for widespread use by monitoring networks. The basic technology also should be applicable to the monitoring of tropospheric ozone and sulfur dioxide.