Abstract

Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrogen chloride are among the most abundant gaseous air pollutants. They contribute to acid precipitation and, along with ozone and olfactory agents, account almost entirely for the degradation of air quality both near urban centers with intense industrial activity and in more remote areas where vegetation, rather than man, is believed to suffer most from their presence. It is therefore desirable to have a means of detection of these gases that combines sensitivity, space resolution, accuracy, and the capability for both immission and emission type measurements. The present paper describes two differential absorption and scattering lidars (or DIALs), one for SO₂ and NO₂ and one for HCl, gives a brief account of their performance, and shows examples of practical applications of the systems.

© 1985 Optical Society of America