An Objective Method for Deriving Atmospheric Structure from Airborne Lidar Observations

Wavelet analysis is applied to airborne infrared lidar data to obtain an objective determination of boundaries in aerosol backscatter that are associated with boundary layer structure. This technique allows high-resolution spatial variability of planetary boundary layer height and other structures to be derived in complex, multilayered atmospheres. The technique is illustrated using data from four different lidar systems deployed on four different field campaigns. One case illustrates high-frequency retrieval of the top of a strongly convective boundary layer. A second case illustrates the retrieval of multiple layers in a complex, stably stratified region of the lower troposphere. The method is easily modified to allow for varying aerosol distributions and data quality. Two more difficult cases, data that contain a great deal of instrumental noise and a cloud-topped convective layer, are described briefly. The method is also adaptable to model analysis, as is shown via application to large eddy simulation data.