Instrument : Micropulse Lidar (MPL)

Beneficiary of Recovery Act funding.

Instrument Categories
Cloud Properties

Picture of the Micropulse Lidar (MPL)
Picture of the Micropulse Lidar (MPL)

General Overview

The Micropulse Lidar (MPL) is a ground-based optical remote sensing system designed primarily to determine the altitude of clouds overhead. The physical principle is the same as for radar. Pulses of energy are transmitted into the atmosphere; the energy scattered back to the transceiver is collected and measured as a time-resolved signal.

From the time delay between each outgoing transmitted pulse and the backscattered signal, the distance to the scatterer is inferred. Besides real-time detection of clouds, post-processing of the lidar return can also characterize the extent and properties of aerosol or other particle-laden regions.

Output Value-Added Products

This instrument is an input to the following value-added products, which provide improved measurements or derived quantities.

  • 30smplcmask1zwang : MPL: 30-second cloud mask using the first Z. Wang, et al algorithm
  • arscl1cloth : ARSCL: multiple outputs from first Clothiaux algorithms on Vaisala or Belfort ceilometers, Micropulse lidar, and MMCR
  • arsclbnd1cloth : ARSCL: cloud boundaries from first Clothiaux algorithms on Vaisala or Belfort ceilometers, Micropulse lidar, and MMCR
  • arsclcbh1cloth : ARSCL: cloud base height from first Clothiaux algorithms on Vaisala or Belfort ceilometers, Micropulse lidar, and MMCR
  • mplcbh1scott : MPL: cloud base heights using the Scott/Spinhirne algorithm
  • mplcmask1cloth : MPL: cloud mask using the first Clothiaux, et al algorithm
  • mplnor1camp : MPL: backscatter profiles normalized and cloud detection routine applied.
  • mplpolavg : Micropulse Lidar polarized (MPLPOL) data averaged to fixed 30 second interval
  • mplsmask1cloth : MPL: "significance" mask using the first Clothiaux, et al algorithm
  • rhbarscl1cloth : ARSCL: multiple outputs from first Clothiaux algorithms, Ron Brown ship, Nauru

Output Datastreams

  • mpl : Micropulse Lidar (MPL): cloud base and top heights
  • mplpol : Micropulse Lidar (MPL) polarized: cloud base and top heights
  • mplpolfs : Micropulse Lidar (MPL) polarized, fast sampling: cloud base and top heights
  • mplps : Micropulse Lidar: polarization of atmosphere

Primary Measurements

The following measurements are those considered scientifically relevant.

Locations

  • North Slope Alaska (NSA)
    • Central Facility, Barrow AK (C1)
  • Southern Great Plains (SGP)
    • Central Facility, Lamont, OK (C1)
  • Tropical Western Pacific (TWP)
    • Central Facility, Darwin, Australia (C3)
    • Central Facility, Manus I., PNG (C1)
    • Central Facility, Nauru Island (C2)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (FKB)
    • Black Forest, Germany (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (GAN)
    • Gan Airport, Gan Island, Maldives (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (GRW)
    • Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (HFE)
    • Shouxian, Anhui, China (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (NIM)
    • Niamey, Niger (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (PGH)
    • ARIES Observatory, Nainital, Uttarkhand, India (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (PVC)
    • Highland Center, Cape Cod MA; AMF 1 (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (PYE)
    • Point Reyes, CA (M1)
  • ARM Mobile Facility (SBS)
    • Steamboat Springs CO, Thunderhead Lodge (S1)

Contact(s)

Richard Coulter
(630) 252-5833
rlcoulter@anl.gov

Timothy Martin
technical contact
(630) 252-8708
tjmartin@anl.gov