A COMPARISON OF DUSTSONDE AND LIDAR MEASUREMENTS OF STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOLS

This paper decribes the results and analysis of an experiment to compare the stratospheric aerosol profiles as measured by a ballon-borne in situ particle counter and by the backscattered light from a ground-based laser radar (LIDAR) operating at a wavelength of 6943 A. The profile comparison agrees within the experimental errors for particles with radii greater than 0.25 micrometer and for altitudes between 15 and 28 kilometers. Following the calibration tests, the LIDAR was used to monitor the stratospheric aerosols at Hampton, Virginia. Enhanced backscatter appeared sporadically in November and December of 1974 over Hampton; scattering ratios averaged over altitude increments of 450 meters range from 1.10 to 20 kilometers in early November to 3.3 at 17 kilometers on December 18. The source of this enhanced backscattering is attributed to the aerosols associated with the eruption of the Fuego volcano in Guatemala in mid-October.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the Conference on CIAP (4th), Held at Cambridge, Mass., on 4-7 Feb 75.
• Corporate Authors:

  Langley Research Center

  Environmental and Space Sciences Division
  Langley Station, VA  United States  23365

  Department of Transportation

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Remsberg, E E
  • Northam, B
• Publication Date: 1975-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 37 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerosols; Air pollution; Atmosphere; Optical radar; Particles; Sounding; Stratosphere
• Old TRIS Terms: Atmospheric composition
• Subject Areas: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00092470
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-AS-20062
• Files: NTIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 5 1976 12:00AM