STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOL MEASUREMENTS BY THE LIDAR IN SPACE TECHNOLOGY EXPERIMENT

The Lidar in Space Technology Experiment (LITE) is a three-wavelength backscatter lidar developed by NASA Langley Research Center to demonst rate and explore the capabilities of space lidar. LITE was flown on sp ace shuttle. Discovery in September 1994. Among the primary experiment al objectives of LITE was the measurement of stratospheric aerosols. H igh-quality stratospheric aerosol measurements at 532 nm and 355 nm we re obtained during nighttime, high-gain operation. These LITE data pro vide a detailed global view of the vertical structure and optical prop erties of the stratospheric aerosols. The data are also used to study the transport processes influencing the aerosol spatial distribution. LITE data compare well with measurements made by the Stratospheric Aer osol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II. Individual profile comparisons and comparisons of more global features reinforce and extend the validatio n of the LITE stratospheric data. LITE demonstrates that a spaceborne lidar, with its high vertical resolution and global coverage, is a pow erful tool for tracing atmospheric transport.