Retrievals of aerosol microphysics from simulations of spaceborne multiwavelength lidar measurements

•Simulations of a spaceborne multi-wavelength Mie-HSRL lidar with 3 backscatter and 2 extinction measurements have been performed within the context of the ACE mission study.•Simulations are based upon a 24 h orbit simulation from the GEOS-5 global climate model.•Study of the inversions of aerosol microphysics from both the GEOS-5 data and simulated lidar measurements reveal that the retrievals of aerosol microphysics will be possible for approximately 1% of cases in the lower atmosphere after including the effects of clouds.•Retrievals of fine mode aerosols from the simulated lidar data were the most robust and considerable resistance to increases in random uncertainty in the measurements was demonstrated.•Additional constraints in the retrievals or ancillary data as from a polarimeter are needed to improve the inversions.

In support of the Aerosol, Clouds, Ecosystems mission, simulations of a spaceborne multiwavelength lidar are performed based on global model simulations of the atmosphere along a satellite orbit track. The yield for aerosol microphysical inversions is quantified and comparisons are made between the aerosol microphysics inherent in the global model and those inverted from both the model's optical data and the simulated three backscatter and two extinction lidar measurements, which are based on the model's optical data. We find that yield can be significantly increased if inversions based on a reduced optical dataset of three backscatter and one extinction are acceptable. In general, retrieval performance is better for cases where the aerosol fine mode dominates although a lack of sensitivity to particles with sizes less than 0.1 µm is found. Lack of sensitivity to coarse mode cases is also found, in agreement with earlier studies. Surface area is generally the most robustly retrieved quantity. The work here points toward the need for ancillary data to aid in the constraints of the lidar inversions and also for joint inversions involving lidar and polarimeter measurements.