NASA has recently introduced a new laser-based instrument called the Aerosol Wind Profiler (AWP), developed to produce detailed three-dimensional wind profiles. Using Doppler lidar technology, the AWP tracks the movement of aerosols—small particles suspended in the atmosphere—to measure wind speed and direction with high accuracy.
The flight plan of NASA’s G-III aircraft – outfitted with the Aerosol Wind Profiler – as it gathered data across the Southeastern U.S. and flew through portions of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024. The flight plan is overlaid atop a NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES) satellite image from that day. Image Credit: NASA/John Cooney
The system has been deployed on aircraft and is being evaluated for future use in space. Its core aim is to support more accurate weather models and forecasts, especially for rapidly evolving systems like hurricanes and thunderstorms.
Why Better Wind Data is Needed
Wind data plays a central role in forecasting and understanding atmospheric behavior. However, the current global network of wind observations is incomplete. Most data come from three sources: weather balloons, commercial aircraft, and satellites.
Weather balloons are launched just twice a day from roughly 1300 locations worldwide, offering limited geographic and temporal coverage. Aircraft contribute valuable measurements, but only along fixed routes and altitudes. Satellites estimate wind patterns by tracking clouds and water vapor, but this method breaks down in areas without these features, such as clear skies.
These limitations make it difficult to create the high-resolution, three-dimensional wind maps that meteorologists need, especially when trying to anticipate the development of severe weather. The Aerosol Wind Profiler is designed to help fill these gaps.
How the AWP Works
The AWP uses a 3D Doppler lidar system mounted on research aircraft. During recent flight campaigns, the aircraft flew across the US East Coast and Great Lakes, regions known for complex weather patterns and storm development.
The system works by sending laser pulses into the atmosphere. As these pulses encounter aerosols, they scatter light back to the instrument. Because the aerosols move with the wind, the frequency of the backscattered light shifts—a Doppler effect. By measuring this frequency shift, scientists can determine both the speed and direction of the aerosol motion, which reflects the surrounding wind flow.
By collecting data from multiple directions, the AWP builds high-resolution, three-dimensional maps of wind vectors across different altitudes. Nearly 100 hours of flight time were used to collect data over key atmospheric regions. The results were then processed using advanced algorithms and validated against ground-based and satellite-based measurements.
Key Results from Field Campaigns
The data gathered by the AWP demonstrated several advantages over existing remote sensing methods. Most notably, the instrument was able to capture accurate wind measurements even in clear-sky conditions—areas where cloud-tracking satellites typically provide little or no information.
During missions through Hurricane Helene and other active weather systems, the lidar system revealed vertical wind structures that offered insight into wind shear, storm intensity, and atmospheric dynamics. These vertical profiles are particularly useful for improving our understanding of how storms form and evolve over time.
The team also compared the AWP’s observations with outputs from numerical weather prediction models. This allowed them to identify differences between observed and forecasted wind fields, which could help inform model improvements going forward.
Potential for Space-Based Deployment
Given the success of the airborne system, researchers are now considering how the AWP's technology could be adapted for satellite use. A space-based lidar instrument would enable continuous, global wind measurements, including in regions and conditions that are currently under-observed.
Unlike traditional satellite methods, lidar does not depend on visible cloud or vapor features, which means it can collect data in a much broader range of atmospheric conditions. This could lead to improved forecast accuracy for fast-changing systems like hurricanes and other severe storms.
Conclusion
NASA’s Aerosol Wind Profiler represents a practical step forward in atmospheric observation. By generating accurate, high-resolution wind data from aircraft, it helps address longstanding gaps in global wind monitoring. The success of the system in early field tests supports the case for expanding its use—potentially from orbit—to improve forecasting and support scientific research.