Obtaining a ground-based lidar geometric form factor using coincident spaceborne lidar measurements

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric Science
• Remote Sensing
• Optical Physics

Background:

• Ground-based lidar systems are crucial for atmospheric profiling.
• Accurate geometric calibration is essential for reliable lidar data interpretation.
• Previous methods for geometric form factor determination have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for determining the geometric form factor of ground-based lidar.
• To enable accurate characterization of lidar systems using combined ground and space-based observations.
• To assess the impact of varying aerosol conditions on the geometric factor.

Main Methods:

• Development of a theoretical framework for geometric form factor retrieval.
• Simultaneous data acquisition from a ground-based lidar and the CALIPSO satellite.
• Application of the method to real-world measurement data under diverse aerosol conditions.

Main Results:

• Successful retrieval of the geometric form factor for a ground-based lidar.
• Demonstration of the method's feasibility using CALIPSO and ground-based lidar data.
• Quantification of geometric factors across different aerosol conditions.

Conclusions:

• The presented method provides a robust approach for calibrating ground-based lidar systems.
• Simultaneous multi-platform lidar measurements are effective for geometric factor determination.
• This technique enhances the accuracy of atmospheric measurements derived from ground-based lidar.