Atmospheric atomic mercury monitoring using differential absorption lidar techniques

Abstract

Three-dimensional mapping of atmospheric atomic mercury has been performed with lidar techniques, to our knowledge, for the first time. Industrial pollution monitoring, as well as measurements of background concentrations, is reported. High-efficiency frequency doubling of narrowband pulsed dye laser radiation was employed to generate intense radiation at the mercury UV resonance line. Field measurements were supplemented with extensive laboratory investigations of absorption cross sections and interfering lines of molecular oxygen.