Lidar polarization studies of the troposphere

The polarization properties of lidar backscattering from the atmosphere have been measured using a ruby system operating at 694.3 nm and 347.2 nm. Linearly polarized signals are transmitted, and multiple receiver channels simultaneously sample the return with polarizers oriented parallel and perpendicular to the transmitted polarization. It is found that the polarization of the scattered signal varies substantially with meteorological conditions and that the signals can be employed to derive useful information about the atmospheric conditions.