Otto Schrems¹, Franz Immler¹, Jürgen Stock² and Pedro Hoffmann³

¹AWI Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven/Germany
²CIDA Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía “Francisco J. Duarte”, Mérida/Venezuela
³ULA Universidad de Los Andes, Escuela de Física, Mérida/Venezuela

In the search for a suitable location for a high-altitude tropical station for atmospheric research Mérida (Venezuela) has been chosen, because this location fulfils the necessary prerequisites. One of the measurement sites there is the Observatorio Nacional de Llano del Hato near Mérida at an altitude of 3600 m. The Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomia “Francisco J. Duarte” (CIDA) under the directorship of Dr. Gustavo Bruzual operates this National Astronomic Observatory. The observatory is easily accessible by car or even by trucks since paved roads lead directly to this site.
Apart from a Lidar system a number of other instruments capable to measure atmospheric parameters will be installed at Mérida in order to form the basis for a tropical NDSC station. The measurements at the National Astronomic Observatory will be performed in cooperation between AWI, CIDA and ULA. The Lidar system MARL (Mobile Aerosol Raman Lidar) which will be installed at Llano del Hato is a backscatter lidar based on a linear polarized Nd:YAG laser with 30 Hz repetition rate and 200 mJ pulse energy at 532 nm and 355 nm. The system is designed for day- and nighttime operation. MARL has already the status of a mobile NDSC instrument. Delivery of the Lidar to Venezuela and installation of the instrument will take place at the earliest possible date after the customs negotiations are completed.