AEROSOL AND CLOUD BACKSCATTER AT 1.06, 1.54, AND 0.53 MU-M BY AIRBORNE HARD-TARGET-CALIBRATED ND-YAG METHANE RAMAN LIDAR/

A lidar instrument was developed to make simultaneous measurements at three distinct wavelengths in the visible and near infrared at 0.532, 1.064, and 1.54 mu m with high cross-sectional calibration accuracy. A erosol and cloud backscatter cross sections were acquired during Novem ber and December 1989 and May and June 1990 by the NASA DC-8 aircraft as part of the Global Backscatter Experiment. The instrument, methodol ogy, and measurement results are described. A Nd:YAG laser produced 1. 064- and 0.532-mu m energy. The 1.54-mu m transmitted pulse was genera ted by Raman-shifted downconversion of the 1.064-mu m pulse through a Raman cell pressured with methane gas. The lidar could be pointed in t he nadir or zenith direction from the aircraft. A hard-target-based ca libration procedure was used to obtain the ratio of the system calibra tion between the three wavelengths, and the absolute calibration was r eferenced to the 0.532-mu m lidar molecular backscatter cross section for the dearest scattering regions. From the relative wavelength calib ration, the aerosol backscatter cross sections at the longer wavelengt hs are resolved for values as small as 1% of the molecular cross secti on. Backscatter measurement accuracies are better than 10(-9) (m sr)(- 1) at 1.064 and 1.54 mu m. Results from the Pacific Ocean region of th e multiwavelength backscatter dependence are presented. Results show e xtensive structure and variation for the aerosol cross sections.; The range of observed aerosol cross section is over 4 orders of magnitude, from less than 10(-9) (m sr)(-1) to greater than 10(-5) (m sr)(-1). ( C) 1997 Optical Society of America.