TARFOX Abstracts
at AGU Special Sessions
Baltimore, MD, 5/29-30, 1997

A41C-05 INVITED
"LASE Measurements of Aerosol, Cloud, and Water Vapor Profiles During TARFOX Field Experiment"

S Ismail; E V Browell (Atmospheric Sciences Division, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681, USA; ph. 1-757- 864-2719; e-mail: s.ismail@larc.nasa.gov);
A S Moore; W C Edwards; K Brown (AESD, NASA LaRC, Hampton, VA 23681, USA);
S A Kooi; V G Brackett; M B Clayton (SAIC, Hampton, VA 23666)

The Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) is an autonomously operating Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system that operates from the high altitude NASA ER-2 aircraft for remote measurements of aerosol and water vapor profiles across the troposhpere. LASE participated in the TARFOX field experiment and made high spatial resolution measurements of aerosol and water vapor layers over the TARFOX experiment region. Information concerning the vertical distribution of aerosol layers was transmitted to the in situ sampling aircraft to permit optimum sampling of selected urban aerosol plumes. In coordination with the TARFOX science team, a total of 9 LASE flights were made during July 14-26, 1996. When conditions were suitable for in situ and remote measurements from ground-based instruments. LASE flights were made over the NASA Wallops ground observation site to permit comparisons. The main features of LASE observations during the TARFOX field experiment will be reviewed in this presentation. On July 25, 1996, cloud conditions, gradients in urban plumes in the TARFOX observation region, co-location of the ER-2 and other aircraft, and stellite observations were ideally suited to conduct a detailed study. Intercomparisons of LASE water vapor and aerosol data with other sensors that made measurements on July 25, 1996, will be presented. Water vapor profile information in the TARFOX observation region is needed to calculate clear sky radiances, to determine the role of humidity on aerosol scattering, and to provide satellite water vapor measurement validations. LASE has proven capability to profile water vapor over the entire troposphere with a high accuracy (0.01 g/kg or 6 percent). LASE measurements of water vapor have shown good agreement with sonde measuremnents from Wallops and Bermuda. Additional intercomparisons of LASE water vapor profiles with a number of other sensors and techniques during the TARFOX will be presented. Current LASE activites and future LASE plans will also be discussed.