Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations Research Articles

Random Forest Model-Based Inversion of Aerosol Vertical Profiles in China Using Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Oxygen A-Band Observations

Aerosol research is important for the protection of the ecological environment, the improvement of air quality, and as a response to climate change. In this study, a random forest (RF) estimation model of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and extinction coefficient vertical profiles was, respectively, established using Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) oxygen-A band (O2 A-band) data from China and its surrounding areas in 2016, combined with geographical information (longitude, latitude, and elevation) and viewing angle data. To address the high number of OCO-2 O2 A-band channels, principal component analysis (PCA) was employed for dimensionality reduction. The model was then applied to estimate the aerosol extinction coefficients for the region in 2017, and its validity was verified by comparing the estimated values with the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) Level 2 extinction coefficients. In the comprehensive analysis of overall performance, an AOD model was initially constructed using variables, achieving a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.676. Subsequently, predictions for aerosol extinction coefficients were generated, revealing a satisfactory agreement between the predicted and the actual values in the vertical direction, with an R of 0.535 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.107 km−1. Of the four seasons of the year, the model performs best in autumn (R = 0.557), while its performance was relatively lower in summer (R = 0.442). Height had a significant effect on the model, with both R and RMSE decreasing as height increased. Furthermore, the accuracy of aerosol profile inversion shows a dependence on AOD, with a better accuracy when AOD is less than 0.3 and RMSE can be less than 0.06 km−1.

Global 3-D distribution of aerosol composition by synergistic use of CALIOP and MODIS observations

Abstract. For the observation of the global three-dimensional distribution of aerosol composition and the evaluation of the shortwave direct radiative effect (SDRE) by aerosols, we developed a retrieval algorithm that uses observation data from the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) on board the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board Aqua. The CALIOP–MODIS retrieval optimizes the aerosol composition to both the CALIOP and MODIS observations in the daytime. Aerosols were assumed to be composed of four aerosol components: water-soluble (WS), light-absorbing (LA), dust (DS), and sea salt (SS) particles. The outputs of the CALIOP–MODIS retrieval are the vertical profiles of the extinction coefficient (αa), single-scattering albedo (ω0), asymmetry factor (g) of total aerosols (WS+LA+DS+SS), and αa of WS, LA, DS, and SS. Daytime observations of CALIOP and MODIS in 2010 were analyzed by the CALIOP–MODIS retrieval. The global means of the aerosol optical depth (τa) at 532 nm were 0.147±0.148 for total aerosols, 0.072±0.085 for WS, 0.027±0.035 for LA, 0.025±0.054 for DS, and 0.023±0.020 for SS. τa of the CALIOP–MODIS retrieval was between those of the CALIPSO and MODIS standard products and was close to the MODIS standard product. The global means of ω0 and g were 0.940±0.038 and 0.718±0.037; these values are in the range of those reported by previous studies. The horizontal distribution of each aerosol component was reasonable; for example, DS was large in desert regions, and LA was large in the major regions of biomass burning and anthropogenic aerosol emissions. The values of τa, ω0, g, and fine and coarse median radii of the CALIOP–MODIS retrieval were compared with those of the AERONET products. τa at 532 and 1064 nm of the CALIOP–MODIS retrieval agreed well with the AERONET products. The ω0, g, and fine and coarse median radii of the CALIOP–MODIS retrieval were not far from those of the AERONET products, but the variations were large, and the coefficients of determination for linear regression between them were small. In the retrieval results for 2010, the clear-sky SDRE values for total aerosols at the top and bottom of the atmosphere were -4.99±3.42 and -13.10±9.93 W m−2, respectively, and the impact of total aerosols on the heating rate was from 0.0 to 0.5 K d−1. These results are generally similar to those of previous studies, but the SDRE at the bottom of the atmosphere is larger than that reported previously. Consequently, comparison with previous studies showed that the CALIOP–MODIS retrieval results were reasonable with respect to aerosol composition, optical properties, and the SDRE.

An investigation of the effects of sand and dust storms in the North East Sahara Desert on Turkish airports and PM10 values: 7 and 8 April, 2013 events.

Between April 7 and April 10, 2013, a cyclone with a value of 995hPa that developed in the central Mediterranean transported dust from the Sahara Desert towards Turkey. At 13 airports in Turkey, dust haze and widespread dust were seen during different occasions in this period and caused the observation of so-called "Blowing dust events." This cyclone blew dust towards the Cappadocia airport, and the prevailing visibility decreased to 3800m, making it the lowest value measured during the transition of this cyclone. In this study, Aviation Routine Weather Report (Metar) and Aviation Selected Special Weather Report (Speci) observations of airports in North Africa and Turkey were evaluated for the period between April 3 and April 11, 2013. With this cyclone the prevailing visibility at Benina Airport in Libya decreased to 50m on April 6, 2013. This study aims to evaluate long-distance dust transport's effects on meteorological visibility at airports in Turkey and examine the episodic changes of PM10 values measured by air quality monitoring stations. Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model outputs were used to determine the trajectories of long-distance dust particles. Powder red, green, and blue (RGB) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images, Cloud-Aerosol LIDAR Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) images, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Dust Regional Atmosphere Model (BSC-DREAM8b) outputs, and Global Forecast System (GFS) synoptic maps were used for analysis. In addition, PM10 values obtained from air quality monitoring stations were examined. According to the data obtained from the CALIPSO images, the dust concentration on the Eastern Mediterranean reaches up to 5km. The episodic values obtained from certain air quality measurement stations are Adana 701, Gaziantep 629, Karaman 900, Nevşehir 1343, and Yozgat 782µg/m3 on an hourly average.

Retrieval of aerosols extinction coefficient from calipso satellite observations: a case study over Bhubaneswar

In order to examine the effects of aerosols on climate, knowledge on vertical distribution of aerosol in the lower atmosphere is essential. We analysed aerosol extinction coefficient obtained from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) on board Lidar at campus-3 of KIIT-DU Bhubaneswar during July 2018 to June 2019. Seasonal average (± standard deviation) of extinction coefficient for the winter (December-February: DJF), summer (March-May: MAM), monsoon (June-August: JJA) and post-monsoon (September-November: SON) are found to be 0.22±0.13, 13.08±0.07, 0.27±0.05, 0.15±0.14 km-1, respectively. To differentiate the aerosol loading between the surface and elevated layer, we averaged extinction values for below and above 1km height. At surface level, the values were found to be maximum in post monsoon (0.54±0.13 km-1) and minimum (0.14±0.03 km-1) in winter. Whereas at elevated level, the values exhibit maximum in monsoon (0.45±0.45 km-1) and minimum (0.11±0.02 km-1) in post-monsoon. The vertical profile of aerosol can be used to anticipate aerosol extinction simulations over a variety of time periods and in regions where the CALIOP cannot reach.

Comparisons of the vertical distributions of aerosols in the CALIPSO and GEOS-Chem datasets in China

Abstract In this study, we compared the aerosol profiles derived from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) over China with those simulated by the Global 3-D Atmospheric Chemical Transport model (GEOS-Chem) for the period of 2007–2014. Multiple steps were implemented in the data analysis. First, we validated CALIPSO and GEOS-Chem aerosol optical depth (AOD) using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products, both CALIPSO and GEOS-Chem AOD were found to 30%∼50% underestimations in eastern China and 60%∼80% underestimations in western China. Second, MODIS AOD was introduced to normalize the aerosol extinction coefficient (AEC) of both CALIPSO and GEOS-Chem in each 1-km layer below 10 km to achieve a uniform comparison. Linear regression analysis between the normalized CALIPSO and GEOS-Chem AECs yielded better correlation coefficients and lower mean relative differences than the direct comparisons from the original data. Finally, we investigated the vertical distributions of aerosol components over the North, South, Northwest and Tibet regions of China. Our findings are summarized based on different aerosol components as the following. Dust aerosols: The percentages of CALIPSO polluted dust to total dust in the North and South regions (50%∼68% in different seasons) are higher than those in the Northwest and Tibet regions (25%∼45%). Thus, the polluted dust classification significantly affects our comparisons in the North and South. For CALIPSO pure dust, its concentrations in the higher layers are larger than those of GEOS-Chem. Continental/sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA) aerosols: The percentages of CALIPSO continental aerosols to total aerosols are almost negligible throughout the four regions (

Observations on the distribution of clouds over northern India using joint CloudSat and CALIPSO measurements

ABSTRACTA detailed study on the distribution of basic cloud types over the northern states of India (NSI) is performed using the decadal (2007–2016) raDAR-liDAR (DARDAR) data, which facilitates merged CloudSat and Cloud aerosol liDAR infrared pathfinder satellite observations (CALIPSO) observations onto the high resolution matched geographical grid points. The study demonstrates the seasonal variations, with south-west monsoon (June–September) exhibiting the maximum (>50%) cloud appearances while during the active period of western disturbances (December–March), ~25% of the total annual clouds, over the NSI region. Altostratus is found to be the most frequent cloud type (~20%) among others in the last decade over this region, while during south-west monsoon and western disturbances, the most dominant cloud types are deep convective (~25%) and nimbostratus (~33%), respectively.

Extinction and optical depth retrievals for CALIPSO's Version 4 data release

Abstract. The Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) on board the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite has been making near-global height-resolved measurements of cloud and aerosol layers since mid-June 2006. Version 4.10 (V4) of the CALIOP data products, released in November 2016, introduces extensive upgrades to the algorithms used to retrieve the spatial and optical properties of these layers, and thus there are both obvious and subtle differences between V4 and previous data releases. This paper describes the improvements made to the extinction retrieval algorithms and illustrates the impacts of these changes on the extinction and optical depth estimates reported in the CALIPSO lidar level 2 data products. The lidar ratios for both aerosols and ice clouds are generally higher than in previous data releases, resulting in generally higher extinction coefficients and optical depths in V4. A newly implemented algorithm for retrieving extinction coefficients in opaque layers is described and its impact examined. Precise lidar ratio estimates are also retrieved in these opaque layers. For semi-transparent cirrus clouds, comparisons between CALIOP V4 optical depths and the optical depths reported by MODIS collection 6 show substantial improvements relative to earlier comparisons between CALIOP version 3 and MODIS collection 5.

Atmospheric scene classification using CALIPSO spaceborne lidar measurements in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and India

This paper presents a new algorithm based on the support vector machine (SVM) for classifying the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) data into classes of clean air, cloud, thin aerosol, dense aerosol, surface, subsurface and totally attenuated. The procedure is as follows: At first, the considered features based on CALIPSO data are prepared. Brightness Temperature Differences between 10 and 12 μm (BTD11-12) is then used to better discriminate dense aerosols from clouds. The particle density feature proposed in this research is another feature participating in the classification. Training samples are automatically extracted by applying strict thresholds on the features. A wrapper feature selection is performed to rank the features based on their performance. Four post-processing steps are implemented to correct some misclassified cells e.g. edges of clouds and high-level clouds. The proposed algorithm was implemented on 4 datasets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and India with various types and densities of aerosol. An accuracy assessment based on the comparison between the obtained results and ground truth samples indicated 0.94, 0.96 4, 0.92 and 0.89 kappa coefficients for the datasets. A statistical hypothesis test demonstrated that our SVM classification overcame CALIPSO vertical feature mask (VFM) product. The experimental result indicates the high accuracy of the proposed algorithm for the atmosphere scene classification using CALIPSO data.

Relationships between Ice Water Content and Volume Extinction Coefficient from In Situ Observations for Temperatures from 0° to −86°C: Implications for Spaceborne Lidar Retrievals

AbstractAn examination of 2 yr of Cloud–Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) lidar observations and CloudSat cloud radar observations shows that ice clouds at temperatures below about −45°C frequently fall below the CloudSat radar’s detection threshold yet are readily detectable by the lidar. The CALIPSO ice water content (IWC) detection threshold is about 0.1 versus 5 mg m−3 for CloudSat. This comparison emphasizes the need for developing a lidar-only IWC retrieval method that is reliable for high-altitude ice clouds at these temperatures in this climatically important zone of the upper troposphere. Microphysical measurements from 10 aircraft field programs, spanning latitudes from the Arctic to the tropics and temperatures from −86° to 0°C, are used to develop relationships between the IWC and volume extinction coefficient σ in visible wavelengths. Relationships used to derive a radiatively important ice cloud property, the ice effective diameter De, from σ are also developed. Particle size distributions (PSDs) and direct IWC measurements, together with evaluations of the ice particle shapes and comparisons with semidirect extinction measurements, are used in this analysis. Temperature-dependent De(σ) and IWC–σ relationships developed empirically facilitate the retrieval of IWC from lidar-derived σ and De values and for comparison with other IWC observations. This suite of empirically derived relationships can be expressed analytically. These relationships can be used to derive IWC and De from σ and are developed for use in climate models to derive σ from prognosed values of IWC and specified PSD properties.

CALIOP and AERONET aerosol optical depth comparisons: One size fits none

AbstractWe compare the aerosol optical depths (AOD) retrieved from backscatter measurements of the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite with coincident Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) measurements. Overpass coincidence criteria of ±2 h and within a 40 km radius are satisfied at least once at 149 globally distributed AERONET sites from 2006 to 2010. Most data pairs (>80%) use AERONET measurements acquired ±30 min of the overpass. We examine the differences in AOD estimates between CALIOP and AERONET for various aerosol, environmental, and geographic conditions. Results show CALIOP AOD are lower than AERONET AOD especially at low optical depths as measured by AERONET (500 nm AOD < 0.1). Furthermore, the median relative AOD difference between the two measurements is 25% of the AERONET AOD for AOD > 0.1. Differences in AOD between CALIOP and AERONET are possibly due to cloud contamination, scene inhomogeneity, instrument view angle differences, CALIOP retrieval errors, and detection limits. Comparison of daytime to nighttime number of 5 km × 60 m (60 m in the vertical) features detected by CALIOP show that there are 20% more aerosol features at night. We find that CALIPSO and AERONET do not agree on the cloudiness of scenes. Of the scenes that meet the above coincidence criteria, CALIPSO finds clouds in more than 45% of the coincident atmospheric columns AERONET classifies as clear.

Airborne validation of cirrus cloud properties derived from CALIPSO lidar measurements: Optical properties

The Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite was successfully launched in April 2006 to study cloud and aerosol layers using range‐resolved laser remote sensing. Dedicated flights were conducted from July 26 to August 14, 2006 using the airborne Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) to validate the CALIPSO lidar (CALIOP) data products. This paper presents results from coincident ice cloud measurements of lidar ratio, extinction coefficient, and optical depth. Flight segment case studies are shown as well as statistics for all coincident measurements during this CALIPSO‐CloudSat Validation Experiment (CC‐VEX). For the penetrated portion of opaque layers, CALIOP estimates of lidar ratio and extinction are substantially lower than the corresponding CPL values. Significant differences were also found for measurements of horizontally aligned ice, where different instrument viewing geometries precluded meaningful comparisons. After filtering the data set to exclude these discrepancies, overall CALIOP lidar ratio and extinction averages compared favorably to within 1% of overall CPL averages. When restricting the data further to exact coincident in‐cloud point‐pairs, CALIOP lidar ratios remained close to CPL values, averaging 2.1% below CPL, and the retrieved extinction and optical depth averaged 14.7% above CPL values, a result partially of higher average CALIOP attenuated backscatter but still a respectably close match.

Airborne validation of cirrus cloud properties derived from CALIPSO lidar measurements: Spatial properties

[1] The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite was successfully launched in April 2006 to study cloud and aerosol layers using range-resolved laser remote sensing. Dedicated flights were conducted from July 26 to August 14, 2006 using the airborne Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) to validate the CALIPSO lidar (CALIOP) data products. This paper presents results from coincident ice cloud measurements of lidar ratio, extinction coefficient, and optical depth. Flight segment case studies are shown as well as statistics for all coincident measurements during this CALIPSO-CloudSat Validation Experiment (CC-VEX). For the penetrated portion of opaque layers, CALIOP estimates of lidar ratio and extinction are substantially lower than the corresponding CPL values. Significant differences were also found for measurements of horizontally aligned ice, where different instrument viewing geometries precluded meaningful comparisons. After filtering the data set to exclude these discrepancies, overall CALIOP lidar ratio and extinction averages compared favorably to within 1% of overall CPL averages. When restricting the data further to exact coincident in-cloud point-pairs, CALIOP lidar ratios remained close to CPL values, averaging 2.1% below CPL, and the retrieved extinction and optical depth averaged 14.7% above CPL values, a result partially of higher average CALIOP attenuated backscatter but still a respectably close match.

Relationship of cloud top to the tropopause and jet structure from CALIPSO data

[1] Cloud top and tropopause relationships are examined using cloud top observations from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) cloud data and National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System (GFS) tropopause data. Statistical analyses of cloud top occurrence in tropopause and jet referenced relative altitude coordinates are performed on a global scale using 4 years (2006–2010) of CALIPSO 5 km resolution cloud layer data. The results show that the thermal tropopause appears to be a significant constraint for the cloud top. The zonal vertical distribution of cloud tops in tropopause-relative coordinates shows a maximum at the tropopause level for both the tropics (20°S–20°N) and midlatitudes (40°–60°S, 40°–60°N) for all four seasons. Occurrence of cloud tops above the tropopause is examined and quantified. The results show that with the consideration of tropopause height uncertainty, the data do not provide sufficient evidence of significant presence of cloud tops above the tropopause in the midlatitudes. In the tropics, the significant occurrences of cloud top above the thermal tropopause are found in regions known for seasonal deep convection. In most cases, the occurrence is up to 24% in 2° × 3° latitude-longitude bins with isolated higher frequencies in the western Pacific during the northern hemispheric winter season. The vertical distributions show that these events are mostly up to 2.5 km above the lapse rate tropopause, which is comparable to the differences between the lapse rate and the cold point tropopause in regions of active convection. We speculate that this separation may be responsible for a significant fraction of the cloud tops that do occur above the lapse rate tropopause in our analyses. It is also important to note that our results are limited by the CALIPSO twice-daily sampling with local equator crossing times of 0130 and 1330. The data therefore do not provide a good representation of convection over land, which is known to have maxima in afternoon local times. The tropopause determination is a significant component of this type of studies, and errors in the tropopause height may lead to significantly different conclusions. Our analyses show that the tropopause product from the GFS model is in better agreement with radiosonde measurements. The Goddard Earth Observing System Model Version 5 tropopause product, given as the ancillary data in the CALIPSO data file, shows a much larger uncertainty, primarily because the tropopause is identified at the model grid levels.

The Retrieval of Profiles of Particulate Extinction from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) Data: Algorithm Description

Abstract This work describes the algorithms used for the fully automated retrieval of profiles of particulate extinction coefficients from the attenuated backscatter data acquired by the lidar on board the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spacecraft. The close interaction of the Hybrid Extinction Retrieval Algorithms (HERA) with the preceding processes that detect and classify atmospheric features (i.e., cloud and aerosol layers) is described within the context of the analysis of measurements from scenes of varying complexity. Two main components compose HERA: a top-level algorithm that selects the analysis pathway, the order of processing, and the analysis parameters, depending on the nature and spatial extent of the atmospheric features to be processed; and a profile solver or “extinction engine,” whose task it is to retrieve profiles of particulate extinction and backscatter coefficients from specified sections of an atmospheric scene defined by the top-level algorithm. The operation of these components is described using synthetic data derived from Lidar In Space Technology Experiment (LITE) measurements. The performance of the algorithms is illustrated using CALIPSO measurements acquired during the mission on 1 January 2007.

Clouds and water vapor in the Northern Hemisphere summertime stratosphere

Cloud top observations from the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) instrument and water vapor measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) are used to study the occurrence of clouds in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) summertime lower stratosphere (20°−70°N) and their relation to water vapor. At low latitudes, clouds in the stratosphere tend to occur in regions of intense convection, while at high latitudes, there is little longitudinal preference for the clouds. In general, the 0.1% cloud top occurrence contour tends to be found ∼3 km or 40–50 K of potential temperature above the tropopause. At midlatitudes, the occurrence of clouds above the tropopause is associated with enhanced water vapor, suggesting that clouds are associated with moistening events in the lower stratosphere. In the subtropics, the occurrence of clouds is associated with reduced water vapor, suggesting that clouds are associated with dehydration events. Our results are consistent with hydration or dehydration being determined by the local relative humidity. Low relative humidity allows significant evaporation of lofted cloud ice, which is thought to be the key to moistening events. High relative humidity inhibits evaporation of lofted cloud ice and encourages in situ formation of clouds that are thought to play a role in dehydration.

Airborne validation of spatial properties measured by the CALIPSO lidar

The Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite provides a new and exciting opportunity to study clouds and aerosols in the Earth's atmosphere using range‐resolved laser remote sensing. Following the successful launch of the CALIPSO satellite, validation flights were conducted using the long‐established Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) to verify CALIPSO's calibration and validate various CALIPSO data products. This paper presents results of the initial comparisons made between the spaceborne CALIPSO lidar and the airborne CPL. Results are presented to validate measurement sensitivity and the spatial properties reported in the CALIPSO data products. Cloud layer top determinations from CALIPSO are found to be in good agreement with those from CPL. Determinations of minimum detectable backscatter are in excellent agreement with theoretical values predicted prior to launch.

Spaceborne lidar calibration from cirrus and molecular backscatter returns

In order to make optimal quantitative use of multiwavelength spaceborne lidar data, it is essential that the lidar be well calibrated. Due to system gain/efficiency changes that can be expected to occur during the course of a shuttle or satellite mission, it is essential to employ a calibration approach that can be implemented on-orbit, preferably repeatable at least a few times per orbit. For wavelengths less than about 550 nm, in situ calibration can be accomplished via normalization to high-altitude nearly molecular scattering regions. However, for longer wavelengths beyond about 800 nm, particularly the popular Nd: YAG fundamental wavelength at 1064 nm, the Rayleigh normalization approach becomes questionable due to both an inherently weaker signal and a stronger, variable, and somewhat unknown aerosol scattering contribution. For lidars operating at both longer and shorter wavelengths, a viable approach is to retrieve the longer wavelength calibrations ratioed to the shorter wavelength calibrations via comparisons of spectral backscatter from known/quantifiable scatterers. Cirrus clouds are good for this purpose because they occur at high altitudes with significant frequency and provide strong nearly spectrally flat backscatter. This paper presents both the molecular normalization and cirrus spectral backscatter ratio calibration approaches, including results obtained from case studies of lidar data collected during the LITE shuttle mission. Attention is focused on developing a simple autonomous approach applicable to satellite lidar missions such as Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) and the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS).