Wind Measurements up to 25km based on Aerosol Backscatter with a Novel, Multi Field of View Lidar

We present the first set of simultaneous horizontal and vertical wind measurements obtained from aerosol backscatter, covering altitudes between 3 and 25 km. These measurements were made possible by using the novel VAHCOLI lidar system of the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Germany. Designed as a multi-purpose system incorporating Doppler-Mie, Doppler-Rayleigh, and Doppler-resonance lidar techniques for studying the middle atmosphere, the system has been upgraded to probe wind dynamics across five fields of view. Comparisons with winds from ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) and Aeolus satellite data show good agreement for horizontal wind components but reveal a significant underestimation of vertical winds by ECMWF. By leveraging measurements across multiple fields of view, we highlight the system's capability to detect small-scale wind asymmetries, underscoring its value for atmospheric research.