GroundWinds Hawaii: Applications for Wind Profiles Derived from an Ultra-violet LIDAR in Hawaii

摘要

The goal of the GroundWinds program is to develop and demonstrate technology for a future space-based LIDAR system that will measure the vertical structure of global wind profiles (Nardell and Hayes 2000). The only current source of such data is from balloonborne radiosondes, which are common over the U.S. mainland but rare over the oceans. A satellite system would provide wind measurements distributed all over the globe. Because the air over the Pacific is largely free of aerosols, the NOAA observatory on Mauna Loa at 3-km altitude is an ideal site for testing the optics, hardware, and detectors needed for the satellite system. The GroundWinds Hawaii system is scheduled to begin operations in fall 2001 and can operate day or night. Thereafter, LIDAR team plans continued operations to provide calibration support for the satellite system when it flies.