Arctic Atmospheric Backscatter Profiles From Micro-Pulse Lidar

Micro-pulse lidar data from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard captures vertical atmospheric backscatter profiles. Measurements were taken continuously with 1-minute temporal and 30-meter vertical resolution up to 60 km altitude. The dataset was collected by SCIOPS at the AWIPEV Station, with processed data available from NASA MPLNET as of 2009.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in aerosol optical depth using the 1-minute resolution backscatter profiles.
• Study vertical structure of polar stratospheric clouds using the 30-meter range resolution data up to 60 km.
• Compare atmospheric conditions between slant (45-degree) and vertical pointing periods from the two station locations.
• Validate satellite-based lidar measurements (e.g., CALIPSO) with ground-based 523.5 nm wavelength observations.
• Investigate diurnal or seasonal cycles in Arctic atmospheric backscatter from the 24-hour operation data.

Strengths

• High-resolution vertical profiles with 30-meter range resolution.
• Continuous 24-hour temporal coverage with 1-minute time resolution.
• Data spans a significant vertical column from ground level to 60 km altitude.

Limitations

• Data recency is limited, with last update recorded in April 2009.
• Geographic scope is restricted to a single station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.
• Specific sample size (row count) and data volume are unknown.

Provenance

Source

NASA MPLNET website, collected by SCIOPS.

Collection Method

Continuous measurement using a ground-based micro-pulse lidar (NASA upgraded SESI model).

Time Range

Operational until at least 2009-04-08; specific start date unknown.

Freshness

null

Geography

AWIPEV Station (formerly Rabben Station), Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Arctic.