title: Turn-key Raman lidar for profiling atmospheric water vapor, clouds, and aerosols.
abstract: We describe an operational, self-contained, fully autonomous Raman lidar system that has been developed for unattended, around-the-clock atmospheric profiling of water vapor, aerosols, and clouds. During a 1996 three-week intensive observational period, the system operated during all periods of good weather (339 out of 504 h), including one continuous five-day period. The system is based on a dual-field-of-view design that provides excellent daytime capability without sacrificing nighttime performance. It is fully computer automated and runs unattended following a simple, brief (~5-min) start-up period. We discuss the theory and design of the system and present detailed analyses of the derivation of water-vapor profiles from the lidar measurements.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bisson
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Turner