<title>Lidar inversion algorithm for the simultaneous retrieval of the vertical profile of the aerosol extinction and backscattering coefficients in the troposphere</title>

Abstract

A novel backscattering lidar inversion procedure is presented. This method consists of two steps: the first one is the determination of a preliminary vertical profile of the unit volume extinction coefficient by the iterative Klett's method, and the second one is the determination of the vertical profile of unit volume backscattering coefficient from the previous step --using the relationship between (alpha) (r) and (beta) (r) -- which is given by two independent solutions for both variables. The calculation of the vertical profile of the 'lidar ratio' [determined as: (beta) (r)/(alpha) (r) is automatic ]. The proposed method is applied, in a preliminary case, to several backscatter lidar signals, obtained by a two wavelength backscattering lidar system in Greece. The proposed procedure can be applied for each wavelength of a multiwavelength backscattering lidar system, independently -- which means that the unit volume extinction and backscatterer profile of the atmosphere can be spectrally resolved. The general case of this procedure has not been applied yet, to a computer simulation, while this work is still in progress.