Abstract

A high-power, differential absorption lidar system for measuring stratospheric (20 - 50 km) ozone concentration profiles, has been in operation at the JPL Table Mountain Observatory since January 1988. Validation of the results obtained from this system has been provided through two extensive inter-comparison campaigns carried out in October/November 1988 and in July/August 1989. Many instruments were involved in these campaigns, including the GSFC mobile DIAL system, the SAGE II satellite instrument, ROCOZ-A rocket sondes and ECC balloon sondes, microwave radiometers, and both Dobson and Brewer column measuring spectro-photometers. The results have shown that the lidars are capable of providing high quality, long-term data and will play an important role in monitoring the stratosphere and providing correlative and ground-truth measurements for future space-based instruments such as UARS and Eos.

© 1990 Optical Society of America