HR: 08:15h
AN: SF51A-02    [Abstracts]
TI: NASA Lidar Technology Program for Earth Science Measurement Applications
AU: * Tratt, D M
EM: dtratt@esto.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Earth Science Technology Office, GSFC, Code 407, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: Active optical remote sensing (lidar) techniques have provided demonstrable enhancements in spatial resolution and reduced dependence on diurnal cycle in comparison to other remote sensing methods used for Earth science applications. While the versatility of lidar is recognized by its appearance in all of NASA's current Earth science theme roadmaps, there are certain measurements that are uniquely enabled by active optical sensors, e.g., global-scale tropospheric winds and mapping of carbon dioxide sources and sinks, vegetation structure and sub-canopy topography. While the perceived benefit of active optical sensing approaches in advancing high-resolution Earth science measurement objectives is accepted, it has nevertheless become evident that the attendant technologies are insufficiently mature to guarantee an acceptable probability of success in many of the deployment scenarios which are presently envisioned and for which lidar is ideally, if not uniquely, suited. Consequently, a technology risk reduction program has been established to aggressively attack certain key technological gaps and thereby enhance the prospects for future lidar missions. We will review the status of the NASA Earth Science Office's current laser remote sensing missions and describe the principal goals (with respect to both target applications and technology) and recent accomplishments of the laser technology program.
DE: 0300 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801)
DE: 0365 Troposphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0368 Troposphere--constituent transport and chemistry
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
SC: Special Focus: Advances in Data Acquisition, Management, Analysis and Display [SF]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting