Systematic tracking of boundary layer aerosols with laser radar

Atmospheric aerosols exhibit a high degree of variability in their properties and their spatial and temporal distribution. Mapping atmospheric aerosols is of great importance for monitoring the effects of anthropogenic activities and natural processes upon local air quality, as well as for producing accurate input for radiative transfer models. To help enhance our understanding of radiative, physical, chemical, and dynamic processes in the atmosphere, laser radar is used to provide systematic monitoring of the temporal evolution of the aerosol rich boundary layer. The Micro Pulse Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) System is capable of long-term autonomous mapping of vertical aerosol structure. We present a new automated method for tracking boundary layer height from Micro Pulse Lidar data and show the results of this method for a continuous 16 h study conducted on the cast coast of the United States. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.