Abstract
A technique is described for combining several wavelength backscatter measurements to yield profiles of molecular density and temperature plus aerosol and cloud backscatter with associated error-bar profiles. Error sources include signal, transmission, calibration, conventional density, lidar density normalization, temperature or pressure estimation at a reference height, and backscatter wavelength-dependence estimation. Strong particulate contamination limits the technique to the cloud-free upper troposphere and above. Error bars automatically returned as part of the measurement show when such contamination occurs. Relative density (temperature) profiles have rms errors of 0.5–2% (1.2–2.5 K) in the nonvolcanic stratosphere and upper troposphere. The density profiles significantly improve aerosol retrievals. The fine vertical resolution of the temperature profiles would permit defining the tropopause to ∼0.5 km and higher wave structures to 1 or 2 km.
© 1982 Optical Society of America
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