Award Abstract # 1930907
Extending Micro-Pulse DIAL (MPD) Water Vapor Estimation Capability for Increased and Enhanced Weather Applications by Leveraging Advanced Signal Processing Techniques

NSF Org: AGS
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Recipient: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM
Initial Amendment Date: October 18, 2019
Latest Amendment Date: October 18, 2019
Award Number: 1930907
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Nicholas Anderson
nanderso@nsf.gov
 (703)292-4715
AGS
 Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: November 1, 2019
End Date: October 31, 2024 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $198,323.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $198,323.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2020 = $198,323.00
History of Investigator:
  • Willem Marais (Principal Investigator)
    willem.marais@ssec.wisc.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Wisconsin-Madison
21 N PARK ST STE 6301
MADISON
WI  US  53715-1218
(608)262-3822
Sponsor Congressional District: 02
Primary Place of Performance: University of Wisconsin-Madison
WI  US  53715-1218
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): LCLSJAGTNZQ7
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Physical & Dynamic Meteorology
Primary Program Source: 01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s):
Program Element Code(s): 152500
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

The accurate measurement of water vapor in the lower atmosphere is one of the keys to unlocking improved forecasts of cloud, precipitation, and severe weather. Through NSF funding, researchers have developed a network of lidars that can run unattended and provide research-quality water vapor measurements. This project will enhance the capability of those lidars to provide measurements in space and time by using advanced signal processing techniques that are already in use in the medical imaging community. Beyond the potential to improve forecasting, the project could allow for a change in how future instruments are constructed, lowering the cost and allowing for more coverage. This also represents the first NSF award for an early-career scientist.

The research plan is to apply a new signal processing technique to the micro-pulse differential absorption lidar (MPD) network to increase the capability of the instrument to retrieve water vapor measurements. The Poisson Total Variation (PTV) technique is used as a signal processor framework for lidar applications and can be conceptualized as an approach where the spatial and temporal resolutions of the observations are systematically and optimally adjusted based on the signal-to-noise ratio. The PTV is based on well-established signal processing techniques that have been used in medical imaging. The short-term objective of the project is to further validate the preliminary PTV techniques and improve it where necessary by processing several MPD datasets that have coincident radiosonde water vapor retrievals. The long-term objective is to refine the technique to be more computationally efficient and integrate it to the MPD testbed data processing system.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Marais, Willem J. and Hayman, Matthew "Extending water vapor measurement capability of photon-limited differential absorption lidars through simultaneous denoising and inversion" Atmospheric Measurement Techniques , v.15 , 2022 https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5159-2022 Citation Details

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

Water vapor is one of the fundamental thermodynamic variables that defines the state of the atmosphere and influences many important processes related to weather and climate. The importance of continuously monitoring low altitude water vapor has been stressed in a survey done by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The National Research Council (NRC) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). These institutions identified that measurements of water vapor at different altitudes are needed at large scales to improve severe weather and rainfall predictions.

To meet the needs identified by NASA, NRC and NAS, Montana State University (MSU) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) have developed a low cost lidar instrument called the micro pulse differential absorption lidar (MPD) that continuously measures water vapor at different altitudes from 500 feet up to 4 miles high in atmosphere. The MPD is designed for unattended network deployment, using low-power, low-cost, high-reliability diode lasers that enable eye-safe transmitted lasers. Because of this unique capability of the MPD the MPD can provide continuous water vapor measurements for the benefit of weather prediction.

For the work that we have done in this product we developed an advanced signal-processing method to extend the scientific capability of the MPD instrument. With the new methods we developed, we show that the maximum altitude at which the MPD can make water vapor measurements can be extended up to 5 miles. This extra mile of measurements increases the usefulness of the MPD water vapor measurements.


Last Modified: 04/18/2025
Modified by: Willem Jacobus Marais

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