Patent ID: 7656526

Claim:
A method for calibrating an absolute aerosol particle backscatter coefficient measuring lidar system, comprising the steps of: scanning an optical beam having a primary wavelength of between about 1.5-1.8 microns through a section of an atmosphere to induce backscattered radiation that has a molecular backscattered radiation component and an aerosol backscattered radiation component, wherein said scanned optical beam has a bandwidth of less than about 200 MHz; receiving said backscattered radiation of said optical beam; splitting said received backscattered radiation into first and second beam components; filtering said second beam component through a wavelength filter, wherein said wavelength filter corresponds to said primary wavelength; analyzing said filtered second beam component and said first beam component to determine measured values for said molecular backscattered radiation component and measured values for said aerosol backscattered radiation component; determining a calibration factor based, at least in part, on the difference between the measured molecular backscattered radiation and a value for molecular backscattered radiation corrected for extinction; and calibrating the absolute aerosol particle backscatter coefficient measuring lidar system by applying said calibration factor to said measured value for said aerosol backscattered component.