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My research interests focus on implementing novel lidar measurement, acquisition, and processing techniques to increase accuracy and precision of science retrievals, notably with instruments operating in the photon counting regime. I was funded by the NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellowship to complete my Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder focused on high resolution photon counting lidar development. I am currently research scientist at the NASA Langley Research Center working on the High Altitude Lidar Observatory, a novel multi-functional lidar sensor for methane, water vapor, and cloud and aerosol research.

My broad associated research interests include: lidar hardware development and theory, optical detection theory, airborne laser remote sensing for multiple geoscience discplines, atmospheric radiative transfer, polarized and non-polarized scatterometry, platform integration - including instrument structure and vibration analysis, and lidar specifics such as time-correlated single-photon counting. The list goes on.


Current Projects:

High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) - NASA Langley Research Center's modular and multi-function airborne lidar developed to measure atmospheric water vapor and methane mixing ratios and aerosol/cloud/ocean optical properties using the DIAL and HSRL techniques, respectively. The HALO instrument also serves as a testbed for new and innovative technology solutions, allowing for rapid installation and deployment for aircraft evaluation.

Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Lidar PathfindEr (ABLE) - Technology advancement and mission concept development for a space borne water vapor and methane DIAL instrument. This projected was recently selected and funded under the NASA Earth Science Technology Office's Instrument Incubator Program.

_________________________


I was Co-Editor on a lidar-centric feature issue in the Optical Society of America's JOSA A/B journals, published Fall 2021. 

Please visit: https://www.osapublishing.org/josaa/virtual_issue.cfm?vid=500

_________________________

I am currently the Vice-Chair of The American Meteorological Society's Committee on Laser Atmospheric Studies.

http://https//www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/stac/committees/committee-on-laser-atmospheric-studies/terms-of-reference/

_________________________


Select journal publications and presentations:

"Evaluation of the High Altitude Lidar Observatory Methane Retrievals During the Summer 2019 ACT-America Campaign"
http://https//amt.copernicus.org/preprints/amt-2022-106/

"High resolution photon time-tagging lidar for atmospheric point cloud generation"
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.26.026030 

"Nonlinear target count rate estimation in single-photon lidar due to first photon bias"
https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.44.001249 

"Airborne lidar observations of wind, water vapor, and aerosol profiles during the NASA Aeolus calibration and validation (Cal/Val) test flight campaign." 
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4305-2021

"Differential absorption lidar measurements of water vapor by the High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO): retrieval framework and first results."
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-605-2022

"The High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO): A multi-function lidar and technology testbed for airborne and space-based measurements of water vapor and methane"
NASA Earth Science Technology Office - 2018 Earth Science Technology Forum
https://esto.nasa.gov/forums/ESTF2018/presentations/Nehrir_ESTF2018_A1P2.pdf

"HALO XCH4 Retrievals During the 2019 ACT-America Campaign"
17th International Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Measurements From Space
https://cce-datasharing.gsfc.nasa.gov/files/conference_presentations/Poster_BartonGrimley_0_161_25.pdf 

Ph.D. Dissertation Location

























View from the NASA DC8 over the Atlantic Ocean during the NASA CPEX-AW 2021 campaign.
My research interests focus on implementing novel lidar measurement, acquisition, and processing techniques to increase accuracy and precision of science retrievals, notably with instruments operating in the photon counting regime. I was funded by the NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellowship to complete my Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder focused on high resolution photon counting lidar development. I am currently research scientist at the NASA Langley Research Center working on the High Altitude Lidar Observatory, a novel multi-functional lidar sensor for methane, water vapor, and cloud and aerosol research.

My broad associated research interests include: lidar hardware development and theory, optical detection theory, airborne laser remote sensing for multiple geoscience discplines, atmospheric radiative transfer, polarized and non-polarized scatterometry, platform integration - including instrument structure and vibration analysis, and lidar specifics such as time-correlated single-photon counting. The list goes on.


Current Projects:

High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO) - NASA Langley Research Center's modular and multi-function airborne lidar developed to measure atmospheric water vapor and methane mixing ratios and aerosol/cloud/ocean optical properties using the DIAL and HSRL techniques, respectively. The HALO instrument also serves as a testbed for new and innovative technology solutions, allowing for rapid installation and deployment for aircraft evaluation.

Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Lidar PathfindEr (ABLE) - Technology advancement and mission concept development for a space borne water vapor and methane DIAL instrument. This projected was recently selected and funded under the NASA Earth Science Technology Office's Instrument Incubator Program.

_________________________


I was Co-Editor on a lidar-centric feature issue in the Optical Society of America's JOSA A/B journals, published Fall 2021. 

Please visit: https://www.osapublishing.org/josaa/virtual_issue.cfm?vid=500

_________________________

I am currently the Vice-Chair of The American Meteorological Society's Committee on Laser Atmospheric Studies.

http://https//www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/stac/committees/committee-on-laser-atmospheric-studies/terms-of-reference/

_________________________


Select journal publications and presentations:

"Evaluation of the High Altitude Lidar Observatory Methane Retrievals During the Summer 2019 ACT-America Campaign"
http://https//amt.copernicus.org/preprints/amt-2022-106/

"High resolution photon time-tagging lidar for atmospheric point cloud generation"
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.26.026030 

"Nonlinear target count rate estimation in single-photon lidar due to first photon bias"
https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.44.001249 

"Airborne lidar observations of wind, water vapor, and aerosol profiles during the NASA Aeolus calibration and validation (Cal/Val) test flight campaign." 
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4305-2021

"Differential absorption lidar measurements of water vapor by the High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO): retrieval framework and first results."
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-605-2022

"The High Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO): A multi-function lidar and technology testbed for airborne and space-based measurements of water vapor and methane"
NASA Earth Science Technology Office - 2018 Earth Science Technology Forum
https://esto.nasa.gov/forums/ESTF2018/presentations/Nehrir_ESTF2018_A1P2.pdf

"HALO XCH4 Retrievals During the 2019 ACT-America Campaign"
17th International Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Measurements From Space
https://cce-datasharing.gsfc.nasa.gov/files/conference_presentations/Poster_BartonGrimley_0_161_25.pdf 

Ph.D. Dissertation Location

























View from the NASA DC8 over the Atlantic Ocean during the NASA CPEX-AW 2021 campaign.