Properties of Coherent Structures over Paris: A Study Based on an Automated Classification Method for Doppler Lidar Observations

The studies related to the coherent structures in the atmosphere, using Doppler wind lidar observations, so far have relied on the manual detection and classification of the structures in the lidar images, making this process time-consuming. We developed an automated classification that is based on texture analysis parameters and the quadratic discriminant analysis algorithm for the detection of medium-to-large fluctuations and coherent structures recorded by single Doppler wind lidar quasi-horizontal scans. The algorithm classified a training dataset of 150 cases into four types of patterns, namely, streaks (narrow stripes), rolls (wide stripes), thermals (enclosed areas), and ‘‘others’’ (impossible to classify), with 91% accuracy. Subsequently, we applied the trained algorithm to a dataset of 4577 lidar scans recorded in Paris, atop a 75-m tower for a 2-month period (September–October 2014). The current study assesses the quality of the classification by examining the physical properties of the classified cases. The results show a realistic classification of the data: with rolls and thermals cases mostly classified concurrently with a well-developed atmospheric boundary layer and the streaks cases associated with nocturnal low-level jets events. Furthermore, rolls and streaks cases were mostly observed under moderate or high wind conditions. The detailed analysis of a 4-day period reveals the transition between the types. The analysis of the space spectra in the direction transverse to the mean wind, during these four days, revealed streak spacing of 200–400 m and roll sizes, as observed in the lower level of the mixed layer, of approximately 1 km.