EOL's Remote Sensing Facility serves the observational needs of the atmospheric science community by developing and deploying state-of-the-art radar and lidar instrumentation. RSF is committed to providing and analyzing cross-cutting measurements in interdisciplinary research thereby continuing EOL's leadership in the discipline of remote sensing. The combination of ground-based scanning and airborne remote sensors provides measurements of atmospheric parameters essential for realization of the societal and scientific benefits outlined in the NCAR Strategic Plan. These high-resolution, large-domain, remotely-sensed observations of clear air and precipitation are otherwise unobtainable.
RSF is responsible for advancing, operating, and maintaining the following ground-based and airborne remote sensing instruments in support of the atmospheric science community.
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The NCAR HIAPER Cloud Radar (HCR) is an airborne, pod-based, polarimetric, W-band radar that serves the atmospheric science community by providing cloud remote sensing capabilities to the NSF/NCAR GV (HIAPER) aircraft.
The NCAR S-band Dual Polarization Doppler Radar is an advanced ground-based, S-band (10 cm), dual-polarized Doppler weather radar, sensitive to a wide range of echo types and particle sizes from clear air and cloud echoes to severe storms containing heavy rain and hail. The research-quality, dual-polarization, Doppler data provide information about precipitation rates, microphysics, storm structure and kinematics in high resolution. S-Pol is the only transportable radar in the world and has been deployed to many remote locations around the globe.
The High Spectral Resolution Lidar is an eye-safe, calibrated lidar system used to make accurate measurements of atmospheric extinction, backscatter coefficients, optical depth, and discrimination between ice and water clouds. The HSRL works by measuring laser returns and depolarization from aerosol and molecular scattering simultaneously. The molecular scattering is used as a calibration target which is available at each point in the lidar return.
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The MicroPulse Differential Absorption Lidar is a joint collaboration between NCAR/EOL and Montana State University and has resulted in the development of a network of five compact, field-deployable lidar systems. The MPDs provide continuous monitoring of water vapor in the lower troposphere at 150 m range resolution and 1 to 5 min temporal resolution from 300 m to 4 km above ground level in daytime operation with greater range at night.
