Occurrence and characteristics of sporadic K layer observed by lidar over Beijing, China.

A double-laser-beam lidar was successfully developed in 2010 to measure the K layer over Yanqing County, Beijing (40.5°N, 116.2°E). Comprehensive statistical analyses of sporadic K (Ks) layer parameters were conducted using two years of lidar data, and the parameters of the Ks layers and their distribution obtained by the analyses are described. The seasonal distribution of Ks occurrence was obtained, with two maxima observed in January and July, respectively. The seasonal distributions of sporadic E (Es) occurrence over Beijing differ from those of Ks occurrence. However, good correlations between Es and Ks in case by case study were found. We also found that four Ks events with peak altitudes lower than 90 km were associated with large and sharp temperature increases in five comparative examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]