Wind Profile Data: LIDAR - NOAA (FIFE)

The aim of this wind profile study was to derive wind profiles and momentum fluxes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/Wave Propagation Laboratory (WPL) Doppler LIDAR, and compare LIDAR and airborne measurements of mean wind, turbulent structure, momentum flux, and heat flux. Another objective was to compare profiles of mean wind and temperature obtained from aircraft, balloon sondes, and wind LIDAR. These data were collected at one location near the center of the FIFE study area but in the northwest quadrant. Data were acquired for a two week period during June and July 1987. Pulsed Doppler LIDAR measures the radial (along-beam) velocity as a function of range using light-scattering particles in the air as tracers. When the LIDAR beam is directed straight upward and the backscattered return as a function of height is recorded, vertical aerosol profiles may be determined. Various pointing and scanning schemes permit measurement of a variety of mean and turbulent quantities based on assumptions about the flow. The remote-sensing character of LIDAR offers the ability to measure flow parameters simultaneously at all the heights in a profile. The winds were obtained with the VAD (Velocity Azimuth Display) technique. The LIDAR only operates above 500 m, therefore the wind profile begins above the ground surface. Data in the planetary boundary layer are usually continuous, but gaps appear occasionally in profiles extending to several kilometers. Profiles were unsmoothed, and the LIDAR's short pulse made adjacent data points almost independent.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Maintainer Earthdata Forum
Last Updated March 10, 2026, 04:21 (UTC)
Created April 1, 2025, 20:03 (UTC)
accessLevel public
bureauCode {026:00}
catalog_conformsTo https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
harvest_object_id d616c8e4-755d-4536-8b5d-e4affd7b1db9
harvest_source_id b99e41c6-fe79-4c19-bbc3-9b6c8111bfac
harvest_source_title Science Discovery Engine
identifier 10.3334/ORNLDAAC/138
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-03-05T23:29:36Z
programCode {026:000}
publisher ORNL_DAAC
resource-type Dataset
source_datajson_identifier true
source_hash 159a4ea130b9fdc26efa5694268017416c8b1a7ccefc1c72ee1b8e5b738895c6
source_schema_version 1.1
spatial [[{"WestBoundingCoordinate":-96.54,"NorthBoundingCoordinate":39.07,"EastBoundingCoordinate":-96.54,"SouthBoundingCoordinate":39.07}],"CARTESIAN"]
temporal 1987-06-24/1987-07-11
theme {"Earth Science"}