LAPSE-RATE 2018: Lidar-Estimated Turbulence Dissipation Rates

Turbulence dissipation rate estimates derived from Doppler lidar measurements during the 2018 LAPSE-RATE field campaign. Data originates from University of Colorado Windcube v1 and University of Oklahoma Halo Streamline lidars deployed in Colorado's San Luis Valley from July 14-21, 2018. The dataset includes intercomparison data from co-located instruments and uses a standard missing data flag.

Use Cases

• Validating turbulence parameterization schemes in weather models using dissipation rate estimates.
• Comparing wind measurement techniques from co-located Windcube and Halo Streamline Doppler lidars.
• Analyzing atmospheric boundary layer stability and mixing during the LAPSE-RATE field campaign.
• Calibrating or developing algorithms for estimating dissipation rates from lidar spectral width data.

Strengths

• Data originates from a specific, well-documented field campaign (LAPSE-RATE 2018) with known dates and locations.
• Includes intercomparison data from co-located instruments on July 14, 2018, supporting data quality assessment.
• Uses a consistent missing data flag (-9999.9), indicating structured quality control.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size (row count, file size) are unknown across all sources, limiting understanding of data structure and scale.
• The last update date is unknown, raising questions about dataset maintenance and potential newer versions.
• Relies on inference for data type; explicit column details are not provided.

Provenance

Source

Miguel Sanchez Gomez, University of Colorado Boulder, using instruments from University of Colorado and University of Oklahoma.

Collection Method

Estimated from scanning Doppler lidar measurements during the LAPSE-RATE field campaign.

Time Range

July 14-21, 2018

Geography

San Luis Valley, Colorado, USA (specific sites: Saguache and Moffat School)