Abstract

A method is presented that permits the determination of atmospheric depolarization-ratio profiles from three elastic-backscatter lidar signals with different sensitivity to the state of polarization of the backscattered light. The three-signal method is far less sensitive to experimental errors and does not require calibration of the measurement, as is the case of the two-signal lidar technique conventionally used for the observation of depolarization ratios. The three-signal method is applied to a polar stratospheric cloud observation. In the analysis we show that, depending on the statistical error of the measurement and on the lidar system parameters, the new method requires minimum cloud volume depolarization ratios to be applicable; in the case study presented, this threshold is ∼0.2. Depolarization ratios determined with the three-signal method can be used to accurately calibrate measurements with the conventional two-signal technique.

© 2003 Optical Society of America

Effect of multiple scattering on depolarization measurements with spaceborne lidars

Susanne Reichardt and Jens Reichardt
Appl. Opt. 42(18) 3620-3633 (2003)

Calibration method for the lidar-observed stratospheric depolarization ratio in the presence of liquid aerosol particles

Hiroshi Adachi, Takashi Shibata, Yasunobu Iwasaka, and Motowo Fujiwara
Appl. Opt. 40(36) 6587-6595 (2001)

Lidar ratio and depolarization ratio for cirrus clouds

Wei-Nai Chen, Chih-Wei Chiang, and Jan-Bai Nee
Appl. Opt. 41(30) 6470-6476 (2002)

Ice clouds and Asian dust studied with lidar measurements of particle extinction-to-backscatter ratio, particle depolarization, and water-vapor mixing ratio over Tsukuba

Tetsu Sakai, Tomohiro Nagai, Masahisa Nakazato, Yuzo Mano, and Takatsugu Matsumura
Appl. Opt. 42(36) 7103-7116 (2003)

Reexamination of depolarization in lidar measurements

Gary G. Gimmestad
Appl. Opt. 47(21) 3795-3802 (2008)