ASOS CL 31 A National Lidar Network Presenter

ASOS CL 31: A National Lidar Network Presenter: UMBC: Belay B. Demoz 1, 2 NOAA/NWS-OSTI: Dennis Atkinson NOAA/NWS-SFSC: Michael Hicks UMBC: Ruben Delgado 2, Kevin Vermeesch Howard University: Ricardo Sakai 1 August 22 -23, 2017 NOAA Emerging Technologies Workshop 1 NCAS-M: - Howard University, Washington, DC and 2 CREST - CUNY, NY

ASOS CL 31: A National Lidar Network Emerging Technologies ● Capability Name: Expand ASOS Capability and creation of a nationwide lidar network ● Capability Developer (NOAA funding organization): NWS Office of Science and Technology Integration ● Partnerships in Development: UMBC-JCET; Howard University (NCAS-M); NWS/Sterling Field Support Center (SFSC); NWS/OSTI; Capability Brief Description/Status: Data capture of an operating instrument (CL 31 -Lidar) in ASOS. • Increases Cloud Bases reporting from 12 K to 25 K; • Captures Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL); • Many applications: Visualizes long range fire transport in air quality impact; Night time convection and Bore wave capture; Volcano ash layer detection. As presented at the 201 7 NOAA Emerging Technologies Workshop 2

ASOS CL 31: A National Lidar Network Emerging Technologies ● Key capability distinguishing innovation: A National Lidar Network for tropospheric profiling of aerosol backscatter profiles, routine PBL data for model-verification; pollutant dispersion. ● Early Successes (testbeds, field tested, prototyped) ü Tested: Plains Elevated Convection At Night (PECAN) Demonstration ü Sites: CONUS climate regions and NCAS-M partner sites ü Data polling in ASOS demonstrated; ü Data compression developed ü Algorithm developed; ~30% Not reported ü A final report prepared. As presented at the 201 7 NOAA Emerging Technologies Workshop 3

ASOS CL 31: A National Lidar Network Emerging Technologies • Anticipated impacts of capability: ○ Which mission services, service gaps could be filled/improved? ü TPT(2011): Observing weather from the ground up” recommends ASOS CL 31 data be captured (“low hanging fruit”). ü PBL height across the ASOS network is possible ü Cloud Ceiling reporting should be increased to 25 Kft § What efficiencies could be realized? ü ASOS CL 31 profile data (not archived fully) would be archived • Anticipated user information needs satisfied? ü Inputs for model output for weather and climate, public safety and transportation service areas. ü Forecaster current situational awareness (nowcasting) and usage ü See example of an undular bore next page As presented at the 201 7 NOAA Emerging Technologies Workshop 4

ASOS CL 31: A National Lidar Network Emerging Technologies ○ How will society ultimately benefit? ü Nighttime Convection Initiation and QPF science ü PBL height – air quality model forecast verification ü Volcanic Monitoring; long range plume transport , etc would benefit ü We do not want to be the “only” nation with no Lidar Network? Raman Water Vapor mixing ratio CL 31 captures the bores Cold/dry airmass As presented at the 201 7 NOAA Emerging Technologies Workshop Cold/dry airmass 5

ASOS CL 31: A National Lidar Network Emerging Technologies ●TRL levels of ASOS CL 31 project ● Demonstration at NWS/SFSC completed successfully on ASOS CL 31. ● Algorithm Assessment/Testing in ASOS Operational Environment Complete ● Planned: Incorporation into ASOS operational data product and archiving. Current As presented at the 201 7 NOAA Emerging Technologies Workshop Proposed 6

Summary Current Bottleneck • ASOS Radio connection • … Solution: Emerging Technologies Future • Technical solution exist. • Need to Implement soon! Wait for software upgrade. ASOS connection As presented at the 201 7 NOAA Emerging Technologies Workshop Proposed connection 7