NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Stratospheric Backscatter, Extinction, and Lidar Ratio Profiling After the Mt. Pinatubo EruptionsSince August 1991 the stratospheric aerosol layer is continuously monitored with a combination Raman elastic-backscatter lidar, groundbased systems. XeCl excimer laser is used as the radiation source. Signals elastically backscattered from air molecules and particles and inelastically Raman backscattered from nitrogen molecules are detected. The measurements of these two signal profiles up to 35 km height allows the separate and independent determination of aerosol extinction and backscatter properties in the perturbed lower stratosphere. The extinction coefficient is derived from the nitrogen Raman signal profile, while the backscatter coefficient is obtained from the elastic-to-inelastic backscatter signal ratio. In this way, also the extinction-to-backscatter, or lidar, ratio profile is determined. For the first time, lidar ratios are determined in the perturbed stratospheric layer by the use of remote sensing only. The lidar ratio contains information about the size range of the stratospheric particles which are assumed to be sulfuric acid droplets, and it is needed in the calculation of aerosol optical properties from data taken with a typical backscatter lidar.
Document ID
19920019988
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Ansmann, Albert
(Gesellschaft fuer Kernenergieverwertung in Schiffbau und Schiffahrt m.b.H. Geesthacht, Germany)
Schulze, Christoph
(Gesellschaft fuer Kernenergieverwertung in Schiffbau und Schiffahrt m.b.H. Geesthacht, Germany)
Wandinger, Ulla
(Gesellschaft fuer Kernenergieverwertung in Schiffbau und Schiffahrt m.b.H. Geesthacht, Germany)
Weitkamp, Claus
(Gesellschaft fuer Kernenergieverwertung in Schiffbau und Schiffahrt m.b.H. Geesthacht, Germany)
Michaelis, Walfried
(Gesellschaft fuer Kernenergieverwertung in Schiffbau und Schiffahrt m.b.H. Geesthacht, Germany)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Langley Research Center, Sixteenth International Laser Radar Conference, Part 1
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Accession Number
92N29231
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Document Inquiry

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available