Using Lidar to Examine Extinction Coefficients and Raman Scattering

The problem of producing extinction profiles for specific atmospheric compounds using Raman scattering is examined. This was done using the Klett stable analytical inversion solution for processing lidar returns and Raman scattering, while using data received from Hampton University’s lidar. Klett extinction profiles are examined from July 20, 2011 and Raman extinction profiles for Nitrogen are compared to Klett method profiles from March 7, 2012. It was found that extinction profiles can be made from Raman scattering data, but the data used was not strong enough to produce a clean result, even with a significant amount of averaging. This was caused by many factors, including having a weak signal, assuming a constant lidar ratio, and light pollution.