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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Measurement of Aerosols Optical Thickness of the Atmosphere using the GLOBE Handheld Sun Photometer
Published on: May 29, 2019
Remote measurement of tropospheric and stratospheric winds by ground based lidar
Abstract:
Horizontally spaced lidar measurements of spatial irregularities in particulate scattering have been used to measure wind velocity in the 12-16 km height range. A steerable lidar at a fixed zenith angle was aimed at three different azimuths in sequence, enabling a determination to be made of the atmospheric scattering profile at three horizontally spaced positions. An analysis of the time variations of the backscattered lidar signal shows that they are mainly caused by the horizontal translation of spatial irregularities in atmospheric particulates and can therefore be used to determine the magnitude and direction of the horizontal wind. The derived wind vectors are in good agreement with radiosonde measurements.
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