Aerosol layers sensing by an eye-safe lidar near the Elbrus summit

Abstract

Abstract A new generation lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) based on a diode laser with eye-safe energy density (~10 nJ cm −2 ) and a single photon avalanche photodiode was used for the first time, to our knowledge, to detect clouds along the Garabashi glacier near the Elbrus mountain summit. We have observed single- and multilayered clouds near the Elbrus volcano summit from the Garbashi camp located at a 4 km distance. A high signal-to-noise ratio demonstrated the potential of the remote sensing of aerosols from distances of up to 10 km.