Extinction effects of atmospheric compositions on return signals of space-based lidar from numerical simulation

The atmospheric composition induced extinction effect on return signals of space-based lidar remains incomprehensively understood, especially around 355 nm and 2051 nm channels. Here we simulated the extinction effects of atmospheric gases (e.g., H2O, CO2, and O3) and six types of aerosols (clean continental, clean marine, dust, polluted continental, polluted dust, and smoke) on return signals of space-based lidar system at 355 nm, 532 nm, 1064 nm, and 2051 nm channels, based on a robust lidar return signal simulator in combination with radiative transfer model (LBLRTM). Results show significant Rayleigh (molecular) scattering effects in the return signals at 355 nm and 532 nm channels, which markedly decays with increases in wavelength. The spectral transmittance of CO2 is nearly 0, yet the transmittance of H2O is approximately 100% at 2051 nm, which verifies this 2051 nm channel is suitable for CO2 retrieval. The spectral transmittance also reveals another possible window for CO2 and H2O detection at 2051.6 nm, since their transmittance both near 0.5. Moreover the corresponding Doppler return signals at 2051.6 nm channel can be used to retrieve wind field. Thus we suggest 2051 nm channel may better be centered at 2051.6 nm. Using the threshold for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of return signals, the detection ranges for three representative distribution scenarios for the six types of aerosols at four typical lidar channels are determined. The results clearly show that high SNR values can be seen ubiquitously in the atmosphere ranging from the height of aerosol layer top to 25 km at 355 nm, and can been found at 2051.6 nm in the lower troposphere that highly depends on aerosol distribution scenario in the vertical. This indicates that the Doppler space-based lidar system with a double-channel joint detection mode is able to retrieve atmospheric wind field or profile from 0 to 25 km.