Calibration method for multiangle lidar measurements.

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric Science
• Optical Remote Sensing
• Lidar Technology

Background:

• Accurate calibration of elastic lidar systems is crucial for quantitative atmospheric measurements.
• Existing two-angle methods often require extensive horizontal homogeneity, limiting their applicability.
• The lidar solution constant is essential for deriving atmospheric properties like extinction coefficients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new, robust method for determining the lidar solution constant using scanning elastic lidar data.
• To enable relative calibration of lidar scans and improve the calculation of vertical atmospheric extinction profiles.
• To overcome limitations of previous methods by reducing the requirement for large-scale atmospheric homogeneity.

Main Methods:

• A two-angle lidar approach is employed, utilizing signals from at least one pair of elevation angles.
• A minimization technique replaces traditional linear regression for determining the solution constant.
• The method accommodates both permanent two-angle operation (time-averaged signals) and processing of 2D lidar scans (arbitrary signal pairs).

Main Results:

• The developed method successfully determines the lidar solution constant from scanning elastic lidar data.
• Vertical profiles of atmospheric extinction can be accurately calculated post-calibration.
• Extensive testing with synthetic data confirms the robustness and effectiveness of the calibration technique.

Conclusions:

• The new two-angle calibration method provides a reliable tool for elastic lidar systems.
• It significantly improves the accuracy of atmospheric extinction profile retrievals.
• The method's reduced homogeneity requirement expands its practical application in diverse atmospheric conditions.