Remote measurements of boundary-layer wind profiles using a CW Doppler lidar.

Abstract

We have demonstrated practical measurement of profiles of horizontal wind magnitude and direction to altitudes of 750 m by making radial velocity measurement with a Doppler lidar using conical scanning. Comparison with surface anemometers and with profiles measured by balloon sondes allows one to evaluate the consistency between lidar measurements and more conventional sensors. Overall, we find a correlation coefficient of 0.83 and an rms difference of 1.3 m s-1 for magnitude and a correlation coefficient of 0.91 and an rms difference of 12o for direction when the lidar and sonde profiles are compared.-from Authors