Altura de nube
Sensores para determinación de la altura de la base de nubes en aeropuertos y redes de aviación civil. Esenciales para la seguridad operacional en condiciones de baja visibilidad.
Cloud base height is measured with ceilometers: lidar instruments that send short laser pulses vertically and calculate, from the timing and intensity of the backscattered light, how high the clouds are. A single instrument reports several cloud layers simultaneously, vertical visibility, and the full backscatter profile of the atmosphere.
It is one of the critical variables in aeronautical meteorology: cloud base height defines takeoff and landing operational minima and feeds the METAR and ATIS reports of every aerodrome. The same atmospheric profile also serves synoptic networks, air quality studies, and the detection of phenomena such as volcanic ash or icing layers.
Typical application areas
- Airports and civil aviation: METAR, ATIS, and operational minima
- Synoptic and climatological weather networks
- Defense aviation weather: military airfields and helipads
- Air quality: mixing layer height and aerosol profiles
- Atmospheric surveillance: volcanic ash, dust, and smoke
- Ports and the maritime industry
- Automatic weather stations at remote, unattended sites
What makes Vaisala's ceilometer technology unique
Vaisala ceilometers measure with pulsed diode laser lidar and single-lens optics: the same lens transmits and receives the signal, ensuring stable measurement from the first meters above the instrument to full range, with no blind zone near the ground and no optical alignment in the field. Each backscatter profile is processed to report up to three simultaneous cloud layers and vertical visibility.
- Single-lens optics: reliable measurement from close range to maximum height
- Up to three cloud layers reported simultaneously, plus vertical visibility
- Full atmospheric backscatter profile, not just the cloud base
- Unattended 24/7 operation in any weather conditions
- Integrated heating and blower to operate through rain, snow, and dust
- Depolarization measurement in the latest generation: distinguishes liquid from solid particles
Ceilometry is a technology Vaisala has been developing since the 1980s, operating today at airports and weather networks around the world. The latest generation adds depolarization measurement: the profile is measured in two polarization directions, making it possible to tell rain from snow, identify icing layers, and detect volcanic ash, dust, and smoke — critical information for aviation as well as atmospheric surveillance and air quality.
AKRIBIS is an authorized Vaisala partner for distribution and technical support in the region — explore the full Vaisala instrumentation line.
Areas where this magnitude is applied
Industries that measure cloud height
Do you need equipment to measure Altura de nube?
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