DERIVATION OF WATER-VAPOR FLUXES FROM LIDAR MEASUREMENTS - COMMENTS

Eichinger et al. (1993) discuss the use of a Raman lidar for measureme nts of water vapor fluxes and suggest that the method is superior to t he use of standard micrometeorological point sensor measurements. Alth ough the lidar shows considerable promise for some purposes, we believ e that their criticisms of point sensors are not warranted; that there are difficulties with their application of dissipation techniques to extract fluxes; and that they misinterpret the existence of plume stru ctures as statistically significant spatial variations of turbulent fl uxes.