Wyoming Cloud Lidar (WCL) Aerosol Spatial Distribution Images and Data
Zhien Wang and Jeff Snider
Contact:  ZWang AT uwyo DOT edu


Please note that this is preliminary data.

This dataset contains Wyoming Cloud Lidar (WCL) images to show aerosol spatial
distributions and text files with dust aerosol flag near the flight level.

The attached text files have the following format:
1111
0 14.4503 0
1 14.4537 0

The first number is total profiles in the file. For each profile, you have
profile index, fractional UTC time, and dust flag. The dust flag  made with the
upward looking WCL measurements within ~ 100 m above the C130 has values from 0
to 3:

 0 no dust from lidar (not able to detect very weak dust)
 1 Dense dust above the boundary layer
 2 Dust mixed with boundary layer aerosol
 3 Weak dust above the boundary layer

Lidar depolarization, total perpendicular signal, as well as relative humidity
were used for the classification. The boundary layer top is simply defined
using the vertical gradient of total aerosol backscattering, and you can see
these clearly from LSR (lidar scattering ratio, the ratio of total signals to
molecular signals) plots.  Please keep in mind that WCL can not detect very
weak dust, dust in clouds. We also did not process profiles having clouds at or
close to the flight level.  If we missed any period you are particularly
interested in, let us know.

The three images show perpendicular channel signals, LSR and lidar linear
depolarization ratio. FSSP300 measurements (count in different bins) for
corresponding profiles are also plotted.  The useable range WCL under weak
aerosol is about 1 km above aircraft, then affected by background noise. The
condensation on lidar window did cost many problems in WCL data. The LSR and
Perpendicular power are corrected for these problems to some extent, but not
perfect.