ESTIMATING STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOLS PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES BY RUBY-LIDAR OBSERVATIONS

An optical model originally developed at 532 nm is applied to the Ruby laser wavelength of 694 nm. Functional relationships resulting from t he model allow estimates of stratospheric aerosol surface area, volume , extinction-to-backscatter ratio, extinction, and effective radius fr om single wavelength, Ruby-lidar measurements. These parameterizations are valid for global stratospheric sulphate aerosols and liquid polar stratospheric clouds. Relative errors of the estimates are in the ran ge of 15-45% for surface area, 15-30% for volume, 20-35% for extinctio n-to-backscatter ratio and extinction, and 40-55% for effective radius . These errors are comparable to the ones characterizing dir ect, in s itu techniques as optical particle counters. Comparisons with results of the original model at 532 nm are presented.