sondre

Sondrestrom

General

The ARCLITE (ARCtic LIdar TEchnology) System is located at the Sondrestrom Upper Atmosphere Research Facility near Kangerlussuaq on the West Coast of Greenland (N66°59', E 309°03'). The system consists of two lidar systems: The Rayleigh/Mie lidar for middle atmosphere studies of noctilucent clouds (NLCs), polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), temperatures, density and gravity waves, and the sodium resonance lidar for mesosphere / lower thermosphere studies of gravity waves and the dynamics and chemistry of sporadic layer formations. The Rayleigh/Mie lidar has been operating since November of 1992 and since 1994 has been providing temperature and molecular density data in the altitude region of 30-90 km on a regular basis. The sodium resonance lidar has been operating since August of 1997. The ARCLITE System is a facility instrument supported by the Upper Atmospheric Research Section of the Atmospheric Science Division within the U.S. National Science Foundation. As a facility instrument, the lidar data and operations are available to all NSF funded individuals. Dr. Craig Heinselman at the Center for GeoSpace Studies at SRI International is the PI of the ARCLITE System and should be contacted to discuss lidar operations and data issues.

The station ended operations in 2018.

References

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