Atmospheric Remote Sensing: Projects

Trailers at ground site near Horsepool, UT.

E&E UBWOS, Horsepool, Utah, 2012 and 2013. The Energy and Environment - Uintah Basin Winter Ozone Study (E&E UBWOS) was designed to study the causes of high wintertime ozone observed in the Uintah Basin. Scientists constructed a ground site of instruments to study sources of VOCs, NOx and particles, ozone formation chemistry in areas of enhanced UV radiation from snow cover, unique radical sources (HONO, CH₂O, ClNO₂) and the role of transport. The high-resolution Doppler lidar (HRDL) and the tunable optical profiler for aerosol and ozone lidar (TOPAZ) are on the ground for this project. More info...

Boulder Atmospheric Observatory Tower, Erie, CO.

SONNE, Erie, Colorado, 2012. Summer Ozone Near Natural gas Emissions (SONNE) was designed to examine the effects of photochemical processing and characterize the gas-phase composition in the vicinity of oil and natural gas production in Wattenberg Field of the Denver-Julesburg Basin during the summertime. Scientists constructed a ground site of instruments to study VOC emissions and gas-phase composition of the ambient air. More info...

DYNAMO, Indian Ocean, 2011. The Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) observation campaign focuses on the Madden-Julian Oscillation and tropical intraseasonal variability in the tropical Indian Ocean region. The project consists mainly of a sounding-radar array formed by research vessels and island sites and enhanced moorings inside and near the array. The high-resolution Doppler lidar (HRDL) will be aboard the R/V Revelle for this project. More info...

National Wind Technology Center wind turbine.

TWICS, south of Boulder, CO, 2011. The Turbine Wake and Inflow Characterization Study (TWICS) uses a high-resolution, scanning Doppler lidar (HRDL) to take a detailed look at the atmosphere in front of and behind one of the large turbines at NREL's National Wind Technology Center south of Boulder: a 2.3-megawatt graceful giant that stretches 100 meters (328 feet) to the central hub, with three 45-meter (148-foot) blades. The goal of the project is to study the wake effect of wind turbines for improved efficiency and reduced damage. More info...

CalNex research team from the NOAA Twin Otter.

CalNex 2010, Southern California. The goal of the CalNex 2010 program is to study the important issues at the nexus of the air quality and climate change problems, and to provide scientific information regarding the trade-offs faced by decision makers when addressing these two inter-related issues. The tunable optical profiler for aerosol and ozone lidar (TOPAZ) was aboard the NOAA Twin Otter for this project. Comprehensive data analysis followed the completion of this project in July 2010. More info...