Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
A MIE-RAYLEIGH-SODIUM FLUORESCENCE LIDAR
SYSTEM FOR ATMOSPHERIC DETECTING
T.D.CHEN,X.H.XUE
∗
andX.K.DOU
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science
and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
The Mie-Rayleigh-Sodium fluorescence lidar at the University of Science and
Technology of China, Hefei (31.87
◦
N, 117.23
◦
E), China, has been set up in
December 2005, designed for measuring atmosphere parameters at altitudes
between ground level to 110 km. It is capable of detection of aerosol extinction
(ground level to 30 km), atmospheric density, temperature (25 km-70 km), and
sodium density (80 km-110 km).
During the past one year after the lidar was set up, we have carried on
routine observations. The preliminary results of the sodium layer observation
together with temperature profile and aerosol extinction profile are given in
this chapter.
1. Introduction
The middle and upper atmosphere is a region of complex photochemical
and dynamic interaction and is perhaps the least understood region of the
earth's atmosphere. Laser remote sensing (lidar) is one of the powerful
remote-sensing techniques which offer the greatest promise of high temporal
and spatial resolution observations of the atmosphere. A large number of
dynamic processes in the earth's atmosphere and long-period changes of
atmosphere parameters can be explored using lidar.
In this chapter, we first give a description of the system configuration
and technical characteristics of our multi-purpose lidar which measures
vertical profiles of sodium density, atmospheric density and temperature,
aerosol extinction over Hefei (31.87
◦
N, 117.23
◦
E). Then we present our
preliminary observational results, i.e. the nocturnal and seasonal variations
of the sodium layer, atmospheric density and temperature profile, and the
aerosol extinction profile.
∗
Corresponding author.
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