Lidar applications in regional air quality studies

During air quality studies in the United States, NOAA's Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL) deployed three lidars to improve characterization of the regional environment. An airborne ozone DIAL system mapped out 3-dimensional profiles of ozone and aerosol, enabling tracking of urban plumes, identification of the residual layer, and specification of ozone production efficiency and dispersion associated with power plant plumes. At surface sites, Doppler and ozone DIAL systems characterized the time evolution of wind profiles, turbulence, vertical mixing, horizontal transport from low level flows, and effects of transient events such as gust front passages. The lidar information greatly complemented observations from airborne and surface in situ sensors, and will be critical for improving understanding and modeling of regional air quality events.