Airborne high spectral resolution lidar for measuring aerosol extinction and backscatter coefficients

An airborne high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) based on an iodine absorption filter and a high-power frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser has been developed to measure backscatter and extinction coefficients of aerosols and clouds. The instrument was operated aboard the Falcon 20 research aircraft of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) during the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment in May-June 2006 to measure optical properties of Saharan dust. A detailed description of the lidar system, the analysis of its data products, and measurements of backscatter and extinction coefficients of Saharan dust are presented. The system errors are discussed and airborne HSRL results are compared to ground-based Raman lidar and sunphotometer measurements. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.