A ceilometer is a type of atmospheric lidar (light detection and ranging), which is an active remote sensing instrument that uses a laser as a light source. Ceilometers were conceived specifically to measure the cloud base height or ceiling height, but can also be used for other applications such as vertical measurements of aerosol concentrations or for boundary layer structure analysis.
During summer 2023, a ceilometer was brought to southern Greenland, as part of the GreenFjord measurement campaign. The aim was to measure and better understand the vertical structure of the boundary layer in the complex coastal ecosystem of the region, including, for instance, the characterization of cloud base height, cloud phase, and aerosol layering.
This project focuses on the detailed analysis (statistics and processes understanding) of the ceilometer data throughout the campaign. The student will work with a pre-existing python classification algorithm which classifies atmospheric targets into different categories (e.g., liquid droplets, ice crystals, or aerosols), as well as a state-of-the-art suite of in-situ aerosol and trace gas measurements from the surface and along vertical profiles (tethered balloon).
The student should have a great interest for atmospheric processes and data analysis. If you are interested in this project or want to learn more about it, please contact Julia Schmale ([email protected]) or Benjamin Heutte ([email protected]).