Statistical comparison of the lidar measurement error of different wind lidar profilers in complex terrain

In flat terrain with homogeneous flow conditions, the so called lidar measurement error of commercial lidar profilers is usually negligible for the determination of the 10-minute mean wind speed and wind direction. However, in complex terrain with inhomogeneous flow, this is different and may result in a lidar measurement error. The influence of different measurement strategies or devices on the lidar error in complex terrain has not yet been systematically investigated. Within the framework of the LoTar project, this question is being investigated in the course of several measurement campaigns.

The challenge of lidar in complex terrain

• There are corrections for lidar measurements in complex terrain, but their accuracy is unclear [1,2,3] .
• There are only a small number of publications comparing lidar and mast measurements in complex terrain, so there is little knowledge about the uncertainties of the corrections of lidar measurements.