First Results from TROLIX 1991: an Intercomparison of Tropospheric Ozone Lidars

Within the framework of the European environmental research programme EUROTRAC, lidar systems for routine measurements of vertical ozone profiles throughout the planetary boundary layer and the free troposphere are currently under development. Several of these systems are now operational and an intercomparison experiment was undertaken in the period from June 10 to June 28, 1991 in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. The main scientific objectives defined for the campaign are: (1) compare the lidar measurements to in situ measurements of the ozone concentration; (2) determine how many and which wavelengths are needed for a sufficiently accurate ozone retrieval in the lower troposphere under realistic conditions; (3) assess the accuracy that can be achieved under realistic conditions; and (4) compare the performance of the participating systems.