Two-wavelength lidar inversion algorithm for a two-component atmosphere with variable extinction-to-backscatter ratios

This numerical study addresses the boundary value determination of the aerosol extinction coefficient from backscatter lidar measurements by use of the simultaneous evaluation of signals at 532 and 1064 nm. The basic equations are formulated for the most common case of a two-component atmosphere with variable aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratios along the lidar line. The method proved to be quite stable for optically thick atmospheres even if the true profiles of the lidar ratios are not known exactly.