Abstract

The paper will include a review of the development of Doppler lidars and current efforts in the field. A Doppler lidar yields wind estimates by measurement of the Doppler shift component in lidar transmitted radiation that is backscattered by particulates in the atmosphere. Currently developed systems have range capabilities in excess of 20 km, which makes them suitable for long-range atmospheric sensing applications. Examples will be presented of their use in routine wind profiling including comparisons with simultaneous radiosonde data, wind shear detection at airports, severe weather monitoring including microburst detection, aircraft wake turbulence detection, and gravity wave studies.

© 1984 Optical Society of America