Long-Term Monitoring of the Stratosphere by Lidars in the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change
Résumé
Lidars are excellent tools for routine profile measurements of ozone, temperature, and aerosol in the stratosphere. Different from most other techniques, the lidar measurements are essentially self-calibrating. This inherently insures long-term stability and has made lidars a key component of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). Some NDACC lidar stations have provided measurement records covering almost 40 years and are expected to continue for many years. We present some milestones in the development of these lidars and show long-term atmospheric changes they have measured. The lidar data are also used as a reference for validation and for merging of (generally shorter) satellite records.