Methane optical density measurements with an integrated path differential absorption lidar from an airborne platform

We report on an airborne demonstration of atmospheric methane (CH₄) measurements with an Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar using an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) and optical parametric oscillator (OPO) laser transmitter and sensitive avalanche photodiode detector. The lidar measures the atmospheric CH₄ absorption at multiple, discrete wavelengths near 1650.96 nm. The instrument was deployed in the fall of 2015, aboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory along with an in-situ spectrometer and measured CH₄ over a wide range of surfaces and atmospheric conditions from altitudes of 2 km to 13 km. In this paper, we will show the results from our flights, compare the performance of the two laser transmitters, and identify areas of improvement for the lidar.