Remote Determination of Winds, Turbulence Spectra and Energy Dissipation Rates in the Boundary Layer from Lidar Measurements

Abstract

Procedures are described for the analysis of lidar data to remotely measure 1) spectra of aerosol density fluctuations, 2) radial and transverse components of the mean wind and turbulent fluctuations of the transverse component of the wind velocity in the convective boundary layer, and 3) the kinetic energy dissipation rate. Results were compared with independent data obtained with a bivane anemometer installed at the 70 m level on a tower within the scanning sector of the lidar. Good agreement was obtained whenever the lidar data had adequate signal-to-noise characteristics (i.e., S/ greater than unity).