Remote sensing of the troposphere using differential absorption lidar

The methodology of laser remote sensing of the atmosphere using the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique is reviewed in detail. A full treatment including the details of the spectral distribution before and after scattering is presented, and approximations for the application of the technique to water vapor, temperature, and ozone measurements are derived. The general methodology is used in conjunction with experimental data sets to identify possible sources of error and to provide quantitative estimates of the accuracy which can be achieved in the measurements. Experimental data are presented for profiles of water vapor, temperature, and ozone in order to demonstrate the capability of providing accurate measurements of the space-time distribution of important atmospheric constituents, for both detailed process studies and routine observations. As a special application measurements of vertical flux profiles of water vapor and ozone in the boundary layer are presented, introducing the use of high resolution remote sensing data for eddy correlation measurements of the turbulent transport. Advantages and limits of this method are discussed. (orig.)133 refs.Available from TIB Hannover: RR 1347(236) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman