Experimental study was carried out in an atmospheric pressure, laboratory-scale dump combustor showing features of combustion instabilities. Flame structure and heat release rates were obtained from OH emission spectroscopy. Qualitative comparisons were made between line-integrated OH chemiluminescence image and Abel-transformed one. Local Rayleigh index distributions were also examined. Mean temperature, normalized standard deviation and temperature fluctuations were measured by coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS). To see the periodic behavior of oscillating flames, phase-resolved measurements were performed with respect to the pressure wave in the combustor. Results on system damping and driving characteristics were provided as a function of equivalence ratio. It also could be observed that phase resolved temperatures have been changed in a well-defined manner, while its difference between maximum and minimum reached up to 280K. These results would be expected to play an important role in better understanding of driving mechanisms and thermo-acoustic interactions.