REALDIAL

Robust Evaluation of Atmospheric Lidars - Differential Absorption LiDAR

31 January 2026 - 20 June 2026

Lead Scientist: Elizabeth Smith

Observatory: SGP (Southern Great Plains)

This campaign supports the deployment of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Vaisala Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) to the SGP during the ARM lead activity: Robust Evaluation of Atmospheric Lidars (REAL). Deployment of the NSSL DIAL during REAL will add an important water vapor-focused system to the already unprecedented array of LiDARs. The objective will be to add to the existing open-source data sets and collect data throughout the deployment with a focus on the four REAL IOPs in April and May. High-frequency ARM soundings will be used to explore retrievals of low-level tropospheric water vapor and synergies between other LiDAR systems will be explored.