Abstract

The University of Wisconsin High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) provides vertical profiles of optical depth, backscatter cross section, depolarization and backscatter phase function. All HSRL measurements are absolutely calibrated by reference to molecular scattering which is measured at each point in the lidar profile (Grand and Eloranta 1991, Pirronen and Eloranta 1994). This enables the HSRL to measure backscatter cross section and optical depth without a prior assumptions about the scattering properties of the atmosphere. Rigorous error estimates can be computed for all measurements.

© 2001 Optical Society of America