Assessment of the three-frequency pulse alternation method for simultaneously troposphere wind and aerosol profiling retrieval in a direct detection lidar

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric science
• Remote sensing
• Meteorology

Background:

• Doppler wind lidar is crucial for atmospheric measurements, detecting wind profiles from the surface to the troposphere.
• Traditional methods using iodine filters face wind speed errors due to aerosol backscatter ratio (Rb) and sensitivity (S) measurements.
• Existing algorithms require precise Rb and S measurements, limiting accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance wind retrieval accuracy and measurement sensitivity in Doppler wind lidar.
• To develop a novel algorithm for simultaneous retrieval of wind profiles and aerosol backscatter ratio (Rb).
• To evaluate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed algorithm under various atmospheric conditions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a three-frequency pulse alternation (TFPA) method utilizing Rayleigh-Mie scattering.
• Simultaneous retrieval of wind profile and aerosol backscatter ratio (Rb) in the troposphere.
• Simulation experiments to assess algorithm performance and identify factors affecting wind speed accuracy.

Main Results:

• The TFPA method is effective for wind profile retrieval in atmospheres with Rb > 0.1.
• Reduced radial wind speed error by 50% compared to direct measurement sensitivity methods.
• Decreased horizontal wind speed standard deviation by 71.6% from the true value.
• Temperature, pressure, and vertical wind velocity uncertainties have minimal impact on accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The TFPA method offers a significant improvement in Doppler wind lidar accuracy.
• The algorithm is particularly suitable for atmospheric conditions with detectable aerosols.
• This advancement contributes to more precise meteorological measurements and atmospheric research.