Effects of laser beam alignment tolerance on lidar accuracy

One of the major lidar error sources not yet analyzed in the literature is the tolerance of the laser beam alignment with respect to the scanning mirror. In this paper, the problem of quantifying these errors is solved for rotating polygon mirror type lidar systems. An arbitrary deviation of the beam from its design direction–the vector of beam misalignment–can be described by two independent parameters. We choose these as horizontal and vertical components of the misalignment vector in the body frame. Either component affects both, horizontal and vertical lidar accuracy. Horizontal lidar errors appear as scan line distortions—along and across track shifts, rotations and scaling. It is shown that the horizontal component of misalignment results in a scan line first being shifted across the track and then rotated around the vertical at the new center of the scan line. Resulting vertical lidar error, being a linear function of the scan angle, is similar to that produced by a roll bias. The vertical component of the beam misalignment causes scan line scaling and an along track shift. The corresponding vertical error is quadratic with respect to the scan angle. The magnitude of these effects is significant even at tight alignment tolerances and cannot be realistically accounted for in the conventional calibration model, which includes only range, attitude and GPS biases. Therefore, in order to attain better accuracy, this model must be expanded to include the beam misalignment parameters as well. Addition of new parameters into the model raises a question of whether they can be reliably solved for. To give a positive answer to this question, a calibration method must utilize not only ground control information, which is typically very limited, but also the relative accuracy information from the overlapping flight lines.     

Aerosol climatology for the planetary boundary layer derived from regular lidar measurements

Regular aerosol extinction and backscatter measurements using a UV Raman Lidar have been performed for almost 3 years in Hamburg in the frame of the German Lidar Network. A set of 92 aerosol extinction and 164 aerosol backscatter profiles has been used for statistical investigations. Mean values and variances of the aerosol extinction and backscatter in the boundary layer have been calculated. Large fluctuations during the whole year have been found. The measured aerosol extinction over Hamburg shows a seasonal cycle with highest values in early fall and a second less prominent peak in spring.An analysis of the data using back trajectories showed a dependence of the aerosol extinction on the origin of the air mass. The residence time of the air mass over industrialized areas was found to be an important parameter for the measured aerosol extinction at Hamburg. However, only a small part of the total variability could be explained by the air mass origin.For 75 cases of aerosol extinction measurements under cloud-free conditions, the aerosol backscatter profile and therefore, the lidar ratio as a function of altitude could be determined. Winter measurements of the lidar ratio are often close to model results for maritime aerosol, the summer measurements are close to the model results for urban or continental aerosols.The high quality of the data has been proven by intercomparisons with other lidar systems and with star photometer measurements of the aerosol optical depth during the Lindenberg Aerosol Characterization Experiment (LACE'98) field campaign.     

根据激光雷达观测结果研究中国武汉地区钠层的分布

通过大量钠层荧光激光雷达观测数据的分析研究，给出我国武汉地区钠层平均分布形态的基本特征. 结合钠层模型分析，指出大气微量元素分布的纬度变化可能是导致不同纬度地区钠层平均分布形态差异的主要原因,同时给出武汉地区随季节变化的钠层平均分布形态. 对武汉地区钠层分布形态时间变化的分析，发现其短期变化与重力波活动及夜间变化与潮汐波活动相关.     

Geospatial analysis of a coastal sand dune field evolution: Jockey's Ridge, North Carolina

Preservation and effective management of highly dynamic coastal features located in areas under development pressures requires in-depth understanding of their evolution. Modern geospatial technologies such as lidar, real time kinematic GPS, and three-dimensional GIS provide tools for efficient acquisition of high resolution data, geospatial analysis, feature extraction, and quantification of change. These techniques were applied to the Jockey's Ridge, North Carolina, the largest active dune field on the east coast of the United States, with the goal to quantify its deflation and rapid horizontal migration. Digitized contours, photogrammetric, lidar and GPS point data were used to compute a multitemporal elevation model of the dune field capturing its evolution for the period of 1974– 2004. In addition, peak elevation data were available for 1915 and 1953. Analysis revealed possible rapid growth of the dune complex between 1915–1953, followed by a slower rate of deflation that continues today. The main dune peak grew from 20.1 m in 1915 to 41.8 m in 1953 and has since eroded to 21.9 m in 2004. Two of the smaller peaks within the dune complex have recently gained elevation, approaching the current height of the main dune. Steady annual rate of main peak elevation loss since 1953 suggests that increase in the number of visitors after the park was established in 1974 had little effect on the rate of dune deflation. Horizontal dune migration of 3–6 m/yr in southerly direction has carried the sand out of the park boundaries and threatened several houses. As a result, the south dune section was removed and the sand was placed at the northern end of the park to serve as a potential source. Sand fencing has been an effective management strategy for both slowing the dune migration and forcing growth in dune elevation. Understanding the causes of the current movements can point to potential solutions and suggest new perspectives on management of the dune as a tourist attraction and as a recreation site, while preserving its unique geomorphic character and dynamic behavior.     

基于加权约束的单体建筑物点云表面重建算法

建筑物点云表面重建在高精度城市测绘、虚拟现实等领域有十分广泛的应用前景。由于建筑物的几何形态多变,重建算法普遍存在计算速率慢、拟合精度低和模型结构不完整的问题。为此,本文以单体建筑物为研究对象,提出基于加权约束的单体建筑物点云表面重建算法,在表面初始化过程中充分考虑数据对结构拟合的贡献。在此基础上,构建基于正则集的单体建筑物表面重建算法,实现建筑物拟合过程中的加权拟合误差、近邻结构平滑的同步优化。针对多类建筑物三维点云的实验结果表明,相比传统的建筑物重建策略,本文的加权约束方法可根据不同类型的点云数据设计自适应权重,并选择模型拟合中最优的权重函数,在高噪声、低精度点云数据下能得到更高精度的单体建筑物表面模型。     

2018年春季北京一次沙尘天气边界层特征及来源分析

2018年3月27-28日,内蒙古中东部、中国东北地区、华北等地出现一次大范围沙尘天气。28日凌晨,沙尘进入北京,受此影响北京出现了严重的污染天气。本文利用中国气象局地面常规观测资料、气溶胶激光雷达、风廓线雷达资料、生态环境部大气成分等资料分析了北京沙尘天气前后边界层特征、沙尘来源以及沙尘天气前后大气污染特征。结果表明：此次沙尘天气期间,北京沙尘气溶胶退偏振比约为0.25-0.40,退偏振比数据显示此次沙尘首先从高空进入北京,比地面提前6 h。此次影响北京的沙尘主要来自于北路,东路沙尘有一定补充;沙尘影响时段,北京Ca、Fe、Na、K、Mn等元素浓度显著升高,与该物质地壳丰度相当,污染物元素Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、As等浓度有所降低,丰度远大于该物质在地壳中丰度。     

Application of wavelet transformation to determine wavelengths and phase velocities of gravity waves observed by lidar measurements

During the last two decades, important advances have been made in the investigation of gravity waves. However, more efforts are needed to study certain aspects of gravity waves. In the real atmosphere, gravity waves occur with different properties at different altitudes and, most often, simultaneously. In this case, when there is more than one dominant wave, the determination of gravity wave characteristics, such as the vertical wavelength and the phase velocity, is difficult. The interpretation of temperature perturbation plots versus the altitude and time as well as the application of the Fourier spectral analysis can produce errors.Exact knowledge of the wave characteristics is important both for determination of other characteristics, for example, the horizontal wave components, and for study of wave climatology. The wavelet analysis of vertical temperature profiles allows one to examine the wave's location in space. Up to now, gravity waves have been studied mainly by continuous wavelet transformation to determine dominant waves. We apply wavelet analysis to a time series of temperature profiles, observed by the ALOMAR ozone lidar at Andoya, Norway, and by the U. Bonn lidar system at ESRANGE, Sweden, both for determination of the dominant waves and for specifying the vertical wavelengths and the vertical component of the phase velocities. For this purpose, the wavelet amplitude spectra and the wavelet phase spectra are filtered and Hovmöller diagrams for dominant wavelengths are constructed. The advantage of this type of diagrams is that they give clear evidence for the localization of the dominant waves in space and time and for the development of their phase fronts.     

On the Correlation between Convective Plume Updrafts and Downdrafts,Lidar Reflectivity and Depolarization Ratio

We question the correlation between vertical velocity (w) on the one hand and the occurrence of convective plumes in lidar reflectivity (i.e. range corrected backscatter signal Pz ²) and depolarization ratio (Δ) on the other hand in the convective boundary layer (CBL). Thermal vertical motion is directly investigated using vertical velocities measured by a ground-based Doppler lidar operating at 2 μm. This lidar provides also simultaneous measurements of lidar reflectivity. In addition, a second lidar 200 m away provides reflectivities at 0.53 and 1 μm and depolarization ratio at 0.53 μm. The time series from the two lidars are analyzed in terms of linear correlation coefficient (ρ). The main result is that the plume-like structures provided by lidar reflectivity within the CBL as well as the CBL height are not a clear signature of updrafts. It is shown that the lidar reflectivity within the CBL is frequently anti-correlated (ρ (w, Pz ² )) with the vertical velocity. On the contrary, the correlation coefficient between the depolarization ratio and the vertical velocity ρ (w, Δ ) is always positive, showing that the depolarization ratio is a fair tracer of updrafts. The importance of relative humidity on the correlation coefficient is discussed. An erratum to this article can be found at     

海洋三维遥感与海洋剖面激光雷达

本文从海洋与气候变化等重大前沿科学与应用对空间海洋观测系统的需求出发,基于当前国内外空间激光技术水平与前期海洋激光遥感的探索,提出了海洋遥感从二维向三维发展的紧迫性,并将海洋剖面探测激光雷达作为未来“海洋三维遥感”的主要技术手段。本文对近50年国内外激光海洋剖面探测技术的理论与应用、基础性关键探测机理问题,尤其是近10年来的试验性探索及其在多个海洋科学问题中的应用进行了综述。结合中国自主“观澜号”海洋科学卫星计划中海洋剖面探测激光雷达的系统论证与指标要求,提出了未来海洋剖面探测激光雷达发展路线图建议以及中国有望率先在空间海洋剖面激光探测领域取得突破的设想。     

星载激光雷达卫星海面风场反演算法研究

The principal purpose of this paper is to extract entire sea surface wind＇s information from spaceborne lidar, and particularly to utilize a appropriate algorithm for removing the interference information due to white caps and subsurface water. Wind speeds are obtained through empirical relationship with sea surface mean square slopes. Wind directions are derived from relationship between wind speeds and wind directions im plied in CMOD5n geophysical models function （GMF）. Whitecaps backscattering signals were distinguished with the help of lidar depolarization ratio measurements and rectified by whitecaps coverage equation. Subsurface water backscattering signals were corrected by means of inverse distance weighted （IDW） from neighborhood non-singular data with optimal subsurface water backscattering calibration parameters. To verify the algorithm reliably, it selected NDBC＇s TAO buoy-laying area as survey region in camparison with buoys＇ wind field data and METOP satellite ASCAT of 25 km single orbit wind field data after temporal-spa tial matching. Validation results showed that the retrieval algorithm works well in terms of root mean square error （RMSE） less than 2m/s and wind direction＇s RMSE less than 21 degree.