RETRIEVAL OF DUST PARTICLE PARAMETERS FROM MULTI-WAVELENGTH LIDAR MEASUREMENTS USING MODEL OF RANDOMLY ORIENTED SPHEROIDS

The algorithm based on a model of randomly oriented spheroids for the inversion of multi-wavelength lidar data is presented. The aerosols are modelled as a mixture of two components: one composed only of spherical and second composed of non-spherical particles. The non-spherical component is an ensemble of randomly oriented spheroids with size-independent shape distribution. The accuracy of the retrieved particle surface, volume concentration, and effective radius for 10% measurement errors is estimated to be below 30%. If the effect of particle non-sphericity is not accounted for, the errors in the retrieved aerosol parameters increase notably. The algorithm was tested with experimental data from a Saharan dust outbreak episode, measured with the BASIL multi-wavelength lidar.