Abstract

This report will briefly describe a combined Raman, Rayleigh-Mie lidar developed at NASA/GSFC which measures temperature in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Temperatures are retrieved using the rotational-vibrational Raman signal scattered by nitrogen molecules in an extension of the technique discussed by Melfi and Whiteman (1986). While the previous technique assumed negligible aerosol extinction and therefore was limited to the upper troposphere and stratosphere, the method described here uses the Rayleigh-Mie and Raman signals to determine aerosol extinction and is therefore used to extract temperatures through much of the troposphere.

© 1990 Optical Society of America