An Assessment of a Technique for Modeling Lidar Background Measurements

Abstract:

A high-fidelity lidar simulation tool has been developed to generate synthetic lidar backscatter data that closely matches the expected performance of various lidars, including the noise characteristics inherent to analog detection and uncertainties related to the measurement environment. This tool supports performance trade studies and scientific investigations for both the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), which flies aboard Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), and the NASA Langley Research Center airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL). The simulation tool models the lidar instrument characteristics, the backscatter signals generated from aerosols, clouds, ocean surface and subsurface, and the solar background signals. The background signals are derived from the simulated aerosol and cloud characteristics, the surface type, and solar zenith angle, using a look-up table of upwelling radiance vs scene type. The upwelling radiances were derived from the CALIOP RMS background noise and were correlated with measurements of the particulate intensive and extensive optical properties, including surface scattering for transparent layers. Tests were conducted by tuning the tool for both HSRL and CALIOP instrument settings and the atmospheres were defined using HSRL measurements from underflights of CALIPSO. For similar scenes, the simulated and measured backgrounds were compared. Overall, comparisons showed good agreement, verifying the accuracy of the tool to support studies involving instrument characterization and advanced data analysis techniques.