Operating wavelengths optimization for a spaceborne lidar measuring atmospheric CO2

The Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth (A-SCOPE) mission, a candidate for the next generation of European Space Agency Earth Explorer Core Missions, aims at measuring CO2 concentration from space with an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar. We report the optimization of the lidar instrument operating wavelengths, building on two performance models developed to assess measurement random errors from the instrument, as well as knowledge errors on geophysical and spectral parameters required for the measurement processing. A promising approach to decrease sensitivity to water vapor errors by 1 order of magnitude is reported and illustrated. The presented methods are applicable for any airborne or spaceborne IPDA lidar. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America