Analyzing the performance of vertical wind profilers in rain events

Abstract

This paper quantitatively analyzes the performance of sodar and lidar wind profilers during precipitation events, focusing on their range availability (RA) and the representativeness of wind measurements. The wind profile and supporting meteorological data were collected in Barreirinhas and Paulino Neves, Maranhão, Brazil, at various locations, both near and far from the shoreline. The results show that precipitation affects the RA of sodar, which, although it recovers quickly after the rain, shows significant drops in more consistent events. On the other hand, the lidar near the coast had little influence from rainfall on its RA. In contrast, when the lidar is far from the coast, it showed more significant variability, with drops in RA not necessarily linked to rainfall events. The investigation has concluded that the location and specific meteorological conditions significantly influence the performance of these wind profilers and should be considered when choosing the technology for estimating the vertical wind profile.