Temperature Measurements with Lidar

Temperature is a key parameter of the state of the atmosphere. Temperature data play an important role in such fields as atmospheric dynamics, climatology, meteorology, and chemistry, to name just a few. In addition to these direct geophysical applications, the atmospheric temperature profile is necessary as an input parameter to many remote-sensing techniques including lidar for the determination of other quantities. Examples are the measurement of the particle backscatter and particle extinction coefficients with Raman lidar [1], particle polarization [2], water-vapor mixing ratio with Raman lidar [3], or the measurement of trace-gas concentrations with differential-absorption lidar. Until now, temperature profiles of a model atmosphere or the results of radiosonde soundings (in the free troposphere and lower stratosphere) have usually been taken for this purpose. It is obvious that the quality of the results is considerably improved when the atmospheric temperature profile is measured at the same location during the same time interval.