Spectral dependence of the relationship between backscattering and extinction coefficients. in turbid atmospheres with application to lidar signal inversion

Abstract

The relationship between backscattering and extinction coefficients in a turbid atmosphere is examined for four wavelengths, viz. 400, 514.5, 694.3 and 1060 nm. Effect of relative humidity and aerosol characteristics such as size distribution and refractive index on this relationship is delineated. The spectral dependence of backscattering and extinction coefficients in the realistic atmospheres under different relative humidities (in troposphere) as well as at different altitudes (in stratosphere) is studied in detail. Application of this relationship in the inversion of lidar signals is discussed. An improved inversion algorithm is developed, taking into account the dependence of backscatter on extinction under different turbidity conditions, and used for estimating the altitude profile of extinction from lidar data.