Calendar Index Calendar Index
4:02 UT
Plot of mean aerosol backscatter cross-section vs. altitude for data
session.
The above figure shows the particulate scattering cross-section and
depolorization generated
from 3 minute averaged data with 165 meter vertical resolution. The
length of each bar represents
the mean of the scattering cross-sections measured during the data
collection period that have a
molecular scattering error < 2%. The scattering cross section is
computed using the measured
particulate backscatter cross section, ß'and an
estimated backscatter phase function of
P(180)/4pi=0.04. The value of .04 is derived from a 1 year climatology
of HSRL lidar data. The
approximate scattering cross section is then equal to: ß'/0.04. Each
bar is divided into colored
segments based on depolorization. The length of the segment is
determined by the fraction of the
measurements weighted by the scattering cross-section with a
depolorization of d < 0.15 (blue),
0.15 <d < 0.25(red), and d > 0.25 (yellow).
Depolorization less then 0.15 are generally water
droplets or aerosol. Depolorization greater then 0.25 are ice clouds.
Calendar IndexUW Lidar // November 2, 2000 // root@lidar.ssec.wisc.edu