Remote Sensing of Lower Tropospheric Aerosols and Clouds over Islamabad Region Using a Self-Engineered Mie Scattering Lidar

Abstract

Atmospheric changes in the lower troposphere have been remotely studied using a self-engineered Mie scattering lidar with special emphasis on aerosols and clouds profiling over Islamabad region in Pakistan. The lidar is based on a Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm, with maximal energy of 350 mJ at 20-Hz repetition rate and 5-ns pulse length. A silicon avalanche photodiode (Si-APD, C30950E) module is used as a detector. A higher resolution of the lidar revealed time evolution of thermal transport phenomena in the convective boundary layer. Regions of incessant wind speed, temperature, and particulates concentration have been detected through band-like structures at altitudes above 900 m. Strong backscattering (β) and extinction (α) due to a partially invisible thin cloud layer falling in the field-of-view of the lidar beyond 4 km have been identified.