Lidar Studies of Temperature and Density Using Rayleigh Scattering

Lidar has proved to be a necessary complement to the different tools already available to study the atmosphere either to complete the altitude range to be studied or to measure a complementary parameter. Futhermore, the high spatial resolution provides a new insight in the behavior of the middle atmosphere. However it is obvious that the results have to be used in correlation with satellite observations in order to be placed in the global context. A major contribution to the understanding of the dynamics of such instruments, mainly if they are combined with radars, ological rockets and balloons. The spacing of such a network and the geographic situation of the sites depend on the problem to be studied.