Dust flow analysis by low coherence Doppler lidar

Visualization of dust flow and wind dynamics near the ground surface are essential for understanding the mixing and interaction between geosphere and atmosphere near the surface. Knowing the temporal dust flow is beneficial in dealing with air pollution and health issues. Dust flows near the ground surface are difficult to monitor because of their small temporal and spatial scale. In this study, we propose a low-coherence Doppler lidar (LCDL) for measuring dust flow near the ground with high temporal and spatial resolutions of 5 ms and 1 m, respectively. We demonstrate the performance of LCDL in laboratory experiments using flour and calcium carbonate particles released into the wind tunnel. LCDL experiment results show a good agreement with anemometer measurement in wind speeds ranging from 0 to 5 m/s. The LCDL technique can reveal dust’s speed distribution, which is affected by mass and particle size. As a result, different speed distribution profiles can be used to determine dust type. The simulation results of dust flow coincide well with the experimental results.