Airborne Lidar Tracking of Fluorescent Tracers for Atmospheric Transport and Diffusion Studies
Development and validation of transport models for the study of regional acid deposition require improved observations of pollutant transport and dispersion processes. No suitable method for air-parcel tracking along nonconstant density surfaces is available. The feasibility of using an airborne lidar system to observe atmospheric transport and dispersion of fluorescent-dye-particle (FDP) tracers was demonstrated for various meteorological conditions and FDP-release scenarios in the general area of the Cross-Appalachian Tracer Experiment (CAPTEX) during October 1983. This paper presents some of the results obtained on six case studies, each of which illustrates a unique application of the technique.