Airborne lidar measurements of aerosol optical properties during SAFARI‐2000

Abstract

The Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) operated onboard the NASA ER‐2 high‐altitude aircraft during the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI)‐2000 field campaign. The CPL provided high spatial resolution estimates of aerosol optical properties at both 1064 and 532 nm. We present here results of planetary boundary layer (PBL) aerosol optical depth analysis and profiles of aerosol extinction. Variation of optical depth and extinction are examined as a function of regional location. The wide‐scale aerosol mapping obtained by the CPL is a unique data set that will aid in future studies of aerosol transport. Comparisons between the airborne CPL and ground‐based Micro‐Pulse Lidar Network (MPL‐Net) sites are shown to have good agreement.