LIDAR @ Davis Antarctica 6-11-12-2009

Between 02:11 & 02:21 on 6-10-2009 the doors of the LIDAR (light detection and ranging) opened.
It is a remote sensing technqiue that is the optical equivalent of radar ('radio detection and ranging'). A lidar instrument obtains information on the location and properties of distant objects by illuminating them with a beam of light (usually from a pulsed laser) and measuring the 'time-of-flight' and other characteristics of the scattered light.The Australian Antarctic Division and the University of Adelaide have developed a lidar to measure properties of the atmosphere above Davis station in Antarctica.There are currently only 5 lidars operating in Antarctica. The Davis lidar is one of only three Antarctic lidars that can probe the mesosphere (the layer between altitudes of 50 km and 95 km).The Davis lidar measures atmospheric density, temperature, wind velocity and aerosol loading as a function of altitude. The altitude range is normally between 10 km and 65 km, although certain types of measurement can be made to altitudes of 95 km.

The lidar data are normally collected with a vertical resolution of 94 metres, although a resolution as high as 18 metres is available. The data are typically obtained with an integration time of 60 seconds.

But clearly in this case we have a long term ranging operation in progress with 2 solid days of observations that are still ongoing as of the time of posting this video

Courtesy Australian Antarctic Division © Commonwealth of Australia 2009

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• LIDAR
• Antarctic
• Davis
• Southern Hemisphere