Investigate the relationship between multiwavelength lidar ratios and aerosol size distributions using aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer

•The multiwavelength lidar ratios are positive correlated to the particle reff and Vc/f.•The short wavelength lidar ratio is more sensitive to the particle Vc/f.•The long wavelength lidar ratio is more sensitive to the particle reff.•The lidar ratios decrease with increasing the wavelength.•The lidar ratios are almost irrelevant to the shape and total particles of aerosol size distributions.

The real aerosol size distributions were obtained by aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer (APS) in China YinChuan. The lidar ratios at wavelengths of 355 nm, 532 nm and 1064 nm were calculated using Mie theory. The effective radius of aerosol particles reff and volume C/F ratio (coarse/fine) Vc/f were retrieved from the real aerosol size distributions. The relationship between multiwavelength lidar ratios and particle reff and Vc/f were investigated. The results indicate that the lidar ratio is positive correlated to the particle reff and Vc/f. The lidar ratio is more sensitive to the coarse particles. The short wavelength lidar ratio is more sensitive to the particle Vc/f and the long wavelength lidar ratio is more sensitive to the particle reff. The wavelength dependency indicated that the lidar ratios decrease with increasing the wavelength. The lidar ratios are almost irrelevant to the shape and total particles of aerosol size distributions.