Independence, CA
23:08 UTC on 28 Feb 2006 to 00:20 UTC on 1 March 2006

Quicktime [38 MB]

This animation consists of 107 frames between 23:08 UTC on Feb 28 and 00:20 UTC Mar 1. It contains a sequence of RHI scans directed toward 250-degrees azimuth and shows total backscatter intensity data collected to 10.5 km range. Grid lines and range rings are in 2 km increments. (Left side of image is REAL site and right side of animation is toward 250-degrees.) The animation shows flow descending the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains before rapidly ascending about 4 km west of the REAL site. The high backscatter intensity plumes flowing down out of the mountain are probably water clouds. Notice they diminish in intensity as they descend--likely due to evaporation.   At 4-5 km range, this turbulent layer is shallowest (< 500 m thick at times) but rapidly increases in thickness at ranges less than 4-5 km. The turbulent layer reaches over 2 km altitude by the time it reaches the REAL site. Above the turbulent layer, one can see a faint high-scattering layer that also traces this descending and then rapidly ascending flow.

Independence, CA
22:52:44 UTC on 2 March 2006 to 01:15:28 UTC on 3 March 2006

Quicktime [36 MB]

This animation, collected by Stephan DeWekker and composed of 260 frames, covers a two-hour and twenty-minute period during IOP-1 from 22:52:44 UTC on 2 March 2006 to 01:15:28 UTC on 3 March 2006.  During this period, REAL was collecting RHI scans that run along a line oriented at 281.9-degrees azimuth.   The eastern slopes of the Sierra Mountains are on the right side of the scene beyond 5 km range.  (White pixels that do not change position.)   The animation shows strong aerosol scattering below about 3-4 km altitude (the green) and very strong aerosol scattering below about one-kilometer altitude to the east of the lidar site.  During the course of the animation cleaner air appears to be flowing down the slope while the strong aerosol scattering region is lofted several kilometers altitude and then wrapped back down into the downslope flow.

Independence, CA
23:52:30 UTC on 2 March 2006 and 01:15:29 UTC on 3 March 2006

Quicktime [46 MB]

This animation, consisting of 147 frames, includes 1 hour 23 minutes of data and was created to feature the downslope flow to the west of the REAL site and the lofting and rotation of aerosol structures emerging from the east during that episode. Range rings and grid-intervals are in 2 km increments.

Independence, CA
20:07:04 UTC - 22:34:52 UTC on 9 March 2006

Quicktime [46 MB]

This animation is composed of 380 frames and covers a two-hour and twenty-eight minute period during IOP-3 from 20:07:04 UTC - 22:34:52 UTC on 9 March 2006.  These RHI scans are oriented along azimuthal line 250-degrees.  The slope of the eastern Sierras is on the right and shows up as white.  The most interesting feature in this animation is likely to be the wave structure revealed by the aerosol layer which descends from the Sierras west (right) of the lidar site and then rapidly ascends to the east of the lidar site in the Owens Valley.  Below this aerosol layer and wave, one can see water clouds descending the eastern slope (white) and dust being lofted from the surface due to very strong winds.

Independence, CA
17:13:36 UTC to 22:30:25 UTC on 14 March 2006

Quicktime [41 MB]

This animation covers a five-hour and 15-minute period of time from 17:13:36 UTC to 22:30:25 UTC on 14 March 2006.  The vertical scans were directed along 245-degrees azimuth.  During the first half of the scan, 4 distinct layers can be see (for example, at 18:01:50 UTC):
1) an aerosol layer (green and blue colors) fills the bottom 1 km depth of the valley,
2) clouds steaming off the mountain tops at 3 km altitude
3) a thin cloud layer at 6 km altitude and
4) a cloud layer at 8 km altitude.
These upper layers reveal some low amplitude wave activity.
As the animation continues, clean air appears to be filling up the valley in the lowest levels (dark blue colors) and a thick water cloud between 2 and 3 km altitude dominates the scene.

Independence, CA
21:09:35 UTC to 21:42:40 UTC on 14 March 2006

Quicktime [12 MB]

This animation, composed of only 77 frames, covers a 33-minute period of time between 21:09:35 UTC to 21:42:40 UTC on 14 March 2006.  These are horizontal slices directed across the Owens Valley to the east and north of the REAL site.  The flow during this time appears to have concentrated the aerosols on the eastern side of the valley, and two deep rotating columns of dust (similar in shape and size to water spouts) were observed from the lidar site in that region at that time.  The animation shows several interesting areas of rotation on the boundary of the clean (dark blue) and dusty (green-yellow and orange) regions.

Independence, CA
2:10 to 18:16 UTC on 28 March.

MPG [164 MB]

This animation spans the period between 2:10 and 18:16 UTC on 28 March 2006. It represents a continuous sequence of full-360-degree PPI scans for a 16 hour period. The elevation angle was set to 4-degrees above the horizon. (Right is west and left is east.) The steady sharp band of colors located in the left side of the scan is the hard-target reflection from terrain.   Data to 10 km range are shown. Meteorological features of interest in this sequence include: 1) aerosol structures moving from the SE to the NW in the eastern side of the valley while aerosol structures in western side of the valley simultaneously move in the opposite direction, 2) regions of low-optical-scattering air apparently eminating out of the eastern Sierras between 3:00 and 3:30 UTC on the left side, 3) impulses of high-scattering air (dust) advecting up-valley, 4) sudden clearing around 17:00 UTC, and 5) onset of precipitation towards the end of the animation.

Independence, CA
18:00 UTC on 16 April to 2 UTC on 17 April.

Quicktime [24.5 MB]

This 4-hour animation begins with clouds advecting off the eastern Sierra’s at 2-3 km altitude and large variability in aerosol scattering intensity in the very turbulent layer between the cloud and the surface. By 20 UTC we see coherent structures in the cloud layer that resemble K-H shear instability vorticies. The clouds dissipate by 23 UTC (except for some near the mountains on the extremely right side). The animation concludes with evidence of an extremely faint and very low amplitude mountain wave with its through located approximately over the lidar site. The shear instabilities continue to be visible to end of the animation.

Independence, CA
2:54 to 3:08 UTC

Quicktime [7.7 MB]

The sequence of PPI scans from 2:54 to 3:08 UTC are not complete 360-degree sector scans because the wind was so intense at the lidar site, the operators feared the possibility of debris breaking the beam steering unit window.  Key features of atmospheric structure in these eastward-sector, near-horizontal scan frames include (1) long streaky-structures aligned with the intense downslope winds and feeding (2) an enormous dust cloud east of the lidar site and near the center of the Owens Valley.  The motion of the dust cloud exhibits rotations in the flow. 

Independence, CA
03:09 to 3:15 UTC

Quicktime [3.6 MB]

The sequence of RHI scans from 03:09 to 3:15 UTC reveal what resembles an internal boundary layer near the surface.  It begins at the base of the foothills (about 3-5 km west (right) of the lidar) and can be observed to almost 10 km east (left) of the lidar.   This is probably the result of the intense winds and mechanically induced turbulence lifting dust from the surface.  The frames show dust lofted as high as 2.5 km altitude beyond 5 km range.  (The Eastern Sierra Mountains are located on the right and the flow is from the west to east, or right to left) in the animation.)  A cloud with wave structure is very prominent west of the lidar and between 7.5 and 10 km altitude.

Independence, CA
03:18 to 04:12 UTC

Quicktime [32 MB]

The sequence of PPI scans from 03:18 to 04:12 UTC show what appear to be the end of the wind-storm.  The animation shows flow structures moving from both the north and the south and apparently converging near the lidar site.