Retrieval of spatio-temporal distributions of particle parameters from multiwavelength lidar measurements using the linear estimation technique and comparison with AERONET

摘要

The results of the application of the linear estimation technique tomultiwavelength Raman lidar measurements performed during the summer of 2011in Greenbelt, MD, USA, are presented. We demonstrate that multiwavelengthlidars are capable not only of providing vertical profiles of particleproperties but also of revealing the spatio-temporal evolution of aerosolfeatures. The nighttime 3β + 1α lidar measurements on21 and 22 July were inverted to spatio-temporal distributions of particlemicrophysical parameters, such as volume, number density, effective radiusand the complex refractive index. The particle volume and number densityshow strong variation during the night, while the effective radius remainsapproximately constant. The real part of the refractive index demonstrates aslight decreasing tendency in a region of enhanced extinction coefficient.The linear estimation retrievals are stable and provide time series ofparticle parameters as a function of height at 4 min resolution. AERONETobservations are compared with multiwavelength lidar retrievals showing goodagreement.