Correlative ground-based lidar measurements for LITE

The lidar in-space technology experiment (LITE) has been developed at the NASA Langley Research Center to fly on the Space Shuttle and demonstrate the utility of lidar systems in space. An extensive correlative measurements campaign to validate LITE measurements with coincident measurements made with reliable ground-based and balloon-borne sensors was carried out both in Napoli and Potenza in the period September 10-19, 1994. The lidar in Napoli is based on a Xe:F excimer laser (351 nm), while the lidar in Potenza is based on a Nd:YAG laser operating both on the 2nd (532 nm) and 3rd (355 nm) harmonic. During this intense campaign we performed both elastic and Raman measurements for molecular nitrogen. Solar irradiance spectra at ground level were measured by an Optical Spectra Analyzer in the spectral region 0.4-1.1 micrometers , obtaining both columnar water vapor and aerosol load. Aerosol backscattering data will be presented. Elastic and nitrogen Raman signals are used for measuring atmospheric transmissivity. Finally the density and temperature profiles obtained from the simultaneous measurement of the elastic and the N2 Raman signal will be presented. Simultaneous radiosonde measurements of temperature, pressure, and relative humidity will be used to compare lidar data.