P8B.10 DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED RADAR AND LIDAR PLATFORM SUITE FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY AIRBORNE AND GROUND-BASED REMOTE-SENSING RESEARCH James A. Moore*, Jothiram. Vivekanandan, Wen-Chau Lee, Eric Loew, Shane Mayor, and Scott Spuler National Center for Atmospheric Research**, Earth Observing Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, USA 1. INTRODUCTION The NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) is embarking on a cutting edge facility development to take the potential synergy of simultaneous radar and lidar observations to the research community. The Community Airborne Platform Remote-Sensing Interdisciplinary Suite (CAPRIS), will provide the geosciences community the capability for measuring key components of clouds, precipitation, aerosols and chemistry to advance basic understanding of related processes in a warming planetary environment. Many airborne platforms and active remote sensors exist through out the world, but thus far it has been rare for multiple radar and lidars to be operated simultaneously from a single aircraft or on the ground. Furthermore, it is widely recognized that a fusion of microwave and optical data can provide new insights into atmospheric processes. The suite will work in conjunction with existing in-situ sensors on NSF/NCAR C-130 and NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V (GV) aircraft by providing an unprecedented combination of coincident observations of precipitation, winds, cloud microphysics, water vapor, ozone, and aerosol at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. More detailed information on CAPRIS may be found at the project web-page: http://www.eol.ucar.edu/development/capris Radars and lidars at multiple wavelengths/frequencies [clear air (lidars), cloud (MM- wave radar), and precipitation (CM-wave radar)] are necessary in order to sense variables in both clear and cloudy regions and over the several orders of magnitude of particle size range that is required to link microscale and mesoscale processes and for data assimilation. For example, by operating cloud and precipitation radars simultaneously with water vapor and Doppler lidars, investigators could gain a more comprehensive view of how conveyor belts of boundary layer moisture are transformed into heavy precipitation storms. Similarly, by using radars and lidars simultaneously to * Corresponding Author Address: James A. Moore, NCAR/EOL, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO, 80307; email: jmoore@ucar.edu ** National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. probe clouds, investigators can deduce microphysical properties such as particle size distribution. This type of measurement is necessary in order to reduce the uncertainty on estimates of indirect radiative forcing caused by aerosols. The uncertainty of the indirect effect projects the largest component of uncertainty in to the net anthropogenic radiative forcing IPCC AR4, (2007). 2. TECHNICAL DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS The CAPRIS suite includes (i) a flat antenna- aircraft fairing mounted, dual-polarization, dual-Doppler precipitation radar; (ii) a pod-based dual-wavelength, dual-polarization, Doppler cloud radar; (iii) a water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL)/aerosol lidar; (iv) a UV ozone DIAL; (v) a UV molecular clear air Doppler wind lidar; (vi) a heterodyne boundary layer Doppler wind lidar; and (vii) pod-based vegetation canopy lidar. These instruments will be mounted on the NSF/NCAR C130 and GV (HIAPER) (except the precipitation radar). We also propose a design that can be deployed in a ground-based mode to maximize lifetime, utility and flexibility. A consortium of scientists and engineers, led by the NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory, present here a strategy to develop and deploy the CAPRIS. The design of this system considers the needs expressed above, current thinking in the community about measurement priorities and new engineering capabilities now available for use in geosciences research. CAPRIS satisfies the following criteria for supporting multidisciplinary research: • Measurement capability in clear air, cloudy, and precipitating conditions; • Observations at nested spatial and time scales; providing both in-situ and remote sensing measurement techniques. The proposed suite of instruments making up CAPRIS along with key science topics that can be addressed with each sensor are shown in Table 1.