Reprocessed Raman Lidar Data Now Available

Published: 11 March 2013

rlprof — This comparison plot shows the improved detection of cirrus and anvil clouds using the Raman and micropluse lidar data.

Raman Lidar data obtained at the Darwin site have been reprocessed with an improved cloud mask, attenuation flag, and extended height range to 20 kilometers. Data are now available at 2-minute and 10-minute resolution for the Raman Lidar Profiles – Depolarization Ratio (RLPROFDEP) value-added product (VAP), which includes the following primary variables:

cloud mask
depolarization ratio
extinction coefficient
backscatter coefficient
attenuation flag.

As part of this reprocessing effort, the RLPROFMERGE, RLPROFASR, RLPROFEXT, and RLPROFDEP VAPs for Darwin have also been reprocessed with the extended height range, and RLPROFMR has been reprocessed using improved calibration parameters.

The reprocessed Raman lidar data improve the detection of cirrus and anvil clouds in the upper tropical troposphere as demonstrated in the comparison of Raman and micropulse lidars (see figure).

More information is available at the VAP web page. To access these data, log in to the Data Archive. (Go here to request an account.)

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The ARM Climate Research Facility is a DOE Office of Science user facility. The ARM Facility is operated by nine DOE national laboratories, including .