Lidar probing of the atmosphere

Abstract

The optical interactions employed in lidar measurements at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths are briefly reviewed, and results derived from ground-based and airborne systems are described. Particular attention is paid to applications of the technique directed towards measurements of environmental and meteorological parameters of interest: the occurrence and characterization of cirrus and polar stratospheric clouds, the height distribution of water vapour in the troposphere, the height distributions of ozone in the troposphere and stratosphere, and the thermal structure and dynamics of the stratosphere and mesosphere. Finally, an indication is given of the measurements planned for space-borne systems in the 1990s and of the developments in the laser technology making these measurements possible.