Polar Stratospheric Cloud Observations in the 2006/07 Arctic Winter by Using an Improved Micropulse Lidar

Abstract

The potential of a new improved version of micropulse lidar (MPL-4) on polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) detection is evaluated in the Arctic over Ny-Å lesund (798N, 128E), Norway. The campaign took place from January to February 2007 in the frame of the International Polar Year (IPY) activities. Collocated Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Koldewey Aerosol Raman Lidar (KARL) devoted to long-term Arctic PSC monitoring is used for validation purposes. PSC detection is based on lidar retrievals of both backscattering ratio R and volume depolarization ratio d V . Two episodes were unequivocally attributed to PSCs: 21-22 January and 5-6 February 2007, showing a good correlation between MPL-4 and KARL backscattering ratio datasets (mean correlation coefficient 5 0.92 6 0.03). PSC layered structures were characterized for four observational periods coincident with KARL measurements. Also, PSC type classification was determined depending on the retrieved R and d V values as compared with those obtained by KARL long-term Arctic PSC measurements. Tropospheric cloud cover from lidar observations and both ECMWF potential vorticity and temperature at 475 K, in addition to temperature profiles from AWI daily radiosoundings, are also reported. Height-resolved and temporal evolution of both PSC episodes obtained from MPL-4 measurements clearly show that MPL-4 is a suitable instrument to provide long-term PSC statistic monitoring in polar regions. These results are the first reported on PSC detection in the Arctic by using a low-energy and highly pulsed lidar operating on autonomous and full-time continuous mode MPL-4.

Depolarization ratio of Polar Stratospheric Clouds in coastal Antarctica: profiling comparison analysis between a ground-based Micro Pulse Lidar and the space-borne CALIOP

“…A good performance of the MPL-4 system for PSC detection was previously achieved in the Arctic (Córdoba-Jabonero et al, 2009), where depolarization data confirmed that all the PSC cases detected during the 2006-2007 winter were related only to PSC-I events, and no PSC-II occurrences with larger δ V values were found. In particular, the MPL-4 performance for discriminating Type I (Ia and Ib) and Type II PSCs in relation with the δ V parameter is still to be evaluated.…”

Feasibility of New Technology to Comprehensively Characterize Air Emissions from Full Scale Open Burning and Open Detonation

“…MPL technology was also improved to increase the system's reliability . Recently, MPLs have been used to study optical properties of clouds Shiobara, Yabuki, and Kobayashi 2003;Campbell and Sassen 2008;Cordoba-Jabonero et al 2009) and aerosols Anderson et al 2000;Welton et al 2002;Voss et al 2001). The primary commercial manufacturers of MPLs are Sigma Space Corporation 1 and Science and Engineering Services, Inc. Table 2-9) to allow the MPL to scan vertically and horizontally.…”