Boulder
The aerosol lidar at Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A. is located at the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Earth System Research Laboratory/Global Monitoring Division. There is a fairly comprehensive suite of measurements being made in Boulder that is part of the NDACC complement of instruments. These include ozonesondes, Dobson ozone, and a spectral UV instrument.

Boulder is located just to the east of the Rocky Mountains at 39.99 N, 105.26 W at an altitude of 1634 m. The region is semi-arid and provides good conditions for optical observations such as those made by the lidar. The Boulder-Denver metropolitan area is a moderately large urban corridor and is influenced by tropospheric aerosols. However, conditions are generally good for lidar measurements so that observations can be regularly made throughout the year.

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The measurement program at Boulder normally consists of observations once per week, weather permitting. The observational record in Boulder began in August, 1999 and the system was modified in early 2000. The aerosol backscatter is measured at 532 nm.  The analysis used is the same as that used with Mauna Loa Observatory/GMD lidar. Since only site parameters are changed the software has in effect, been tested by participation in the NDSC Aerosol Analysis Intercomparison conducted several years ago.

The principal investigator for the Boulder lidar program is John E. Barnes. He is also the principal investigator for the NDACC primary station lidar program at Mauna Loa Observatory. Dave Hofmann is co-investigator. Contact information is given below.

Contact information
John E. Barnes
NOAA/ESRL/GMD/Mauna Loa Observatory
1437 Kilauea Ave.
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: 808-933-6965  ext 222
Fax: 808-933-6967
Email: John.E.Barnes@noaa.gov

David J. Hofmann
NOAA/ESRL/GMD
David Skaggs Research Building
325 Broadway
Boulder, Colorado   80503
Phone: 303-497-6966
Fax: 303-497-6975
Email: David.J.Hofmann@noaa.gov