Rayleigh-Mie Doppler wind lidar for atmospheric measurements. I. Instrumental setup, validation, and first climatological results.

Since 1989 Service d'Aéronomie du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique has used an incoherent Doppler lidar technique for wind measurements in the atmosphere. A new-generation Rayleigh-Mie Doppler lidar has been designed and is currently operated at the Observatoire de Haute Provence (France). We give a detailed description of this instrument and highlight two important upgrades leading to quasi-simultaneous and absolute measurements of the wind from approximately 8 to 50 km altitude. The possible sources of error are identified and quantified in terms of accuracy in the wind determination. Experimental results are given in detail, and a validation of the measurements is performed with the help of ancillary data. A first climatological description of the mean wind is briefly reported.