Lidar (light detection and ranging), a powerful technique

The LIDAR technology is one of the most advanced techniques for active remote sensing of the atmosphere. Lidar systems measure the optical and microphysical properties of aerosols and optically thin clouds, vertical winds within aerosol layers and at cloud base, as well as temperature and humidity profiles. Depending on the specific realization of the LIDAR system, information about the aerosol backscattering cross section, the extinction, the depolarization ratio (and thus the shape of the spreader), but also about the wind, the temperature as well as the concentration of water vapor and other trace gases can be derived from the backscatter signal. Tesscorn AeroFluid provides a number of lidars to perform atmospheric measurements.