NASA Space-based Lidar Measurements of the 3D Structure of the Earth System

Dr. Ali Omar
Acting Deputy Director, Science Directorate
NASA Langley Research Center
Monday February 6, 2023, 2 PM ET

Abstract:

Lidar provides precise measurements of the three-dimensional structure of the clouds, aerosols, ocean/land/snow/ice surfaces, as well as ocean subsurface. Lidar also provides unique information about physical properties of particulates in the Earth systems. In this talk, I will present atmospheric measurements by NASA space based lidars since the 90s and review the progress, and status of current lidar activities and plans for future measurements. An overview of our recent studies of aerosols, clouds, ocean and snow using spacebased lidar measurements (e.g., LITE, CALIPSO and ICESat-2), such as classifications of aerosols and thermodynamics phase of clouds, cloud microphysical properties, snow depths and phytoplankton biomass will form the bulk of the presentation.

Biosketch:

Dr. Ali Omar is the Acting Deputy Director of Science at NASA Langley Research Center. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 1997. Upon graduation, Ali spent one year at the UIUC Electro-Optics System Laboratory as a post-doctoral fellow working on the retrieval of temperature and aerosol profiles from data of NASA’s Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) conducted on board the space shuttle Discovery in September 1994. Dr. Omar is a science team member of the CALIPSO missions and led the CALIPSO aerosol classification algorithm development effort. Research interests include 1) development of intelligent classification methods for remotely sensed geophysical parameters (2) development of algorithms to determine aerosol properties from spaceborne lidar data and (3) investigations of aerosol subtype distributions and their effects. Dr. Omar is a Fellow of AMS and has served two terms as AGU Secretary for the Global Environmental Change Section.

Webinar:

Event site: https://go.umd.edu/omar
Zoom Webinar: https://go.umd.edu/omarwebinar
Zoom Meeting ID: 976 7438 8838
Zoom password: essic
US Toll: +13017158592
Global call-in numbers: https://umd.zoom.us/u/aMElEpvNu

For IT assistance:
Cazzy Medley: cazzy@umd.edu

Resources:
Seminar schedule & archive: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminar
Seminar Google calendar: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminarcalendar
Seminar recordings on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ESSICUMD