1. Multi-instrument Wind Comparisons at Howard University Beltsville campus: An update
B. Demoz1, B. Gentry2, T. Bacha1, K. Vermeesch2,5, H. Chen2,5,
D. Venable1, E. Joseph1 G. Koch3, U. Singh3, M Boquet4, L. Sauvage4
1Howard University, 2NASA/GSFC, 3NASA/LaRC
4Leosphere, France, 6SSAI 1

2. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment Location
Outline:
HU-Beltsville Research Campus (HU-BRC):
Location, Goals, Instrumentation
Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment:
Objective and Instrumentation
Results
GLOW-Sonde: method + summary
GLOW-Profiler(415MHz)
VALIDAR-GLOW-ACARS-Sonde
Clear sky case and a Cold front case
GLOW-VALIDAR merging: Hybrid-Demonstration
Lidar Wind retrievals and clouds
Summary

3. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment Location
Semi-urban site
Major Pollution corridor
Integrate Science and Education
Extensive instrumentation
Extensive collaboration
Dulles
Airport
National
BWI HU
Beltsville
NASA/GSFC
UMBC
PSU
UMD
UVA
MDE
Major Pollution Transport corridor
Beltsville
* is located in a region of high population density
* is surrounded by many federal, state agencies and universities (NASA, NWS, UMBC, PennState, UVa, UMD, MDE and many others)
* is located in a major corridor of air pollution to the north Atlantic
* is surrounded by 3-major airports and is under a major air transport corridor

4. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment: Objective; Instruments
Experiment Goals:
NASA 3D-wind concept
Compare molecular and aersol-based Doppler wind retrieval
Evaluate performance of wind lidars
Main Instrumentation:
Wind lidars:
NASA/GSFC: GLOW
NASA/LaRC: VALIDAR
Leosphere: WLS70
Wind - Standard:
Sonde/RS92/CFH
Tower/Sonic
ACARS – FAA/NWS
915 Mhz – MDE Profiler
A comparison of wind lidar technology is ongoing at the Howard University Beltsville Campus. The goal of the experiment was to compare two of NASA’s state-of-the-art wind lidar technology instruments. The VALIDAR is an aerosol-based lidar system from NASA/LaRC while the GLOW is a molecular-based lidar from NASA/GSFC. This experiment is the first time these two systems have been operated side by side. In addition, the commercial wind lidar from Leosphere, France (the WindCube), a 915 MHz profiler, ACARS winds and different types of radiosondes participated.
What is Aircraft Communicating And Rrespons Ssystem? Is an instrument flying on a plane?
Yes. Commercial planes have sensors.
What is NASA 3D-wind concept? Put together two different wind lidars (based on molec. and aer.) to cover all the altitude range?
Yes.
Profiling radiometer is the WV one from Stick?
ISTP 2009: Delft, Netherlands, October 2009 4

5. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment: GLOW-VALIDAR-Leosphere ACARS-Profiler-Sonde
Leosphere GLOW VALIDAR
Λ: 1.54um 355 nm nm
Scope: 15 cm (?) m 15 cm
E/Pulse: 25mJ(?) mJ 250 mJ
RRate: pps 5 pps
SPattern: zenith/15deg. programmable Zenith/45-deg.
Principle: aerosol Molecular aerosol
(Double-edge)
Range: < 2km > 2km < 8km
The fig. in the background shows both molec. and aer. Techniques? I don’t remember exactly (even Upendra explained to me once)!
If you are at the wings of the line, any change is related to wind.
pps=Hz right (pulse per second)?
Yes.

6. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment 11-12 March 2009: A cold front case
GLOW operation continued to present

7. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment: GLOW-Sonde: Method
Wind variability within sonde flight time needs to be considered
GLOW-Sonde: time AND altitude should be considered
Note: GLOW scans in a 45degree cone.

8. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment: GLOW-Sonde
Excellent correlation: Months of data
For this example: R2 ~0.9; Slope of ~1.0; Intercept ~ 0.4
Note: at 15km, GLOW wind is averaged over 30km but the correlation holds!

9. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment GLOW-Profiler: Summary
GLOW profile is 33min. average  2 nearest 15min. profiler data
Compute layer averages; nPoints is # of GLOW-profiler pairs
Data divided in height bins.

10. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment ACARS: Analysis Method
reduced 3-hr wind forecast error by 40% (overall improvement of 11%)
reduced 12-hr wind forecasts of winds improved by 5% **
Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS)
Data used within 50km of Beltsville – white (50m); Magenta (30km)
AND, within a given averaging time.

11. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment 11-12 March 2009: A cold front case
Rain
VALIDAR
Leosphere
GLOW
NOTE:
Relative frontal structure and dynamics is well visualized by all lidars!

12. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment 11-12 March 2009: A cold front case
Cloud
11 March 2009
RS92: 2223
● NWS: 2300
● GLOW: 2316
● VALIDAR:
● ACARS:
● LEOSPHERE:
Note
Cold frontal case
Sonde-sonde variations
Good Performance in rain
ACARS variability

13. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment ACARS-GLOW-VALIDAR-Sonde-WLS70
NOTE:
ACARS variability in 1hr
GLOW above 10km
VALIDAR ~ 10min. Ave.
24 Feb. 2009:
NWS sonde: 2300
GLOW (33min;2355,
VALIDAR –
ACARS:

14. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment ACARS-GLOW-VALIDAR-Sonde-WLS70
24 Feb. 2009:
NWS sonde
GLOW - 33min;2355
VALIDAR –
ACARS
NOTE:
ACARS variability (1hr ave.)
GLOW above 10km
All in good agreement.

15. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment GLOW-VALIDAR: 24-25 February 2009
VALIDAR: < 6km
GLOW: 2-15km
Optimum (R2>0.7) 4-5km
24-25 Feb. wind speed

16. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment GLOW-VALIDAR
24-25 Feb. wind speed
24 Feb 2009:
VALIDAR/GLOW/Sonde merged.
Profile: 0-15km
Res. 3min. Profile is possible

17. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment GLOW- Cloud effects

18. Summary/Conclusion
Wind lidars compared to many “standard” instruments.
Hybrid DWL Experiment demonstration
Cases studies for front, clear-sky, conditions sampled.
Cloud effects are being investigated.
Data base of lidar wind in various conditions archived

19. END

20. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment IAD Sonde - Reanalysis
What do you plot on upper right? Max speed for month?
Yes.
I don’t get the diff. bet. The two curves.
One is for maximum speed at 12.5km and the other is 10km. To see any variations.
The red statements are “requirements” in eneral or achievements by your systems?
over the East Coast areas of US
(65W-85W, 25N-50N); ECMWF reanalysis
( )

21. Wind Lidars: The Howard Experiment: 11-12 March 2009: A cold front case