Detection of stratospheric sulfuric acid aerosols with polarization lidar: theory, simulations, and observations

The derivation of backscatter ratio profiles from polarization lidar measurements is discussed. The method is based on differences in depolarization between molecular backscattering and backscattering from spherical aerosol particles. Simulations show that the polarization algorithms yield backscatter ratios with uncertainties comparable with those obtained by Klett's method, provided that the backscattering process is dominated by molecular scattering. The technique could be utilized for monitoring the stratospheric sulfuric acid aerosol layer during periods of background conditions. The polarization analysis method is discussed in light of simulation results and is applied to polarization lidar profiles observed during the ALBATROSS 1996 field measurement campaign. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 010.1100, 010.1310, 010.3640, 280.1100, 280.3640, 290.1350.