The LITE Correlative Measurements Campaign in Southern Italy: Preliminary Results

In conjunction with the LITE mission an intensive LIDAR measurement campaign was carried out in Napoli (40500N−14100E, at sea level) and Potenza (40360N− 15440E,820m a.s.l.). The LITE experiment, flying on board the Space Shuttle in the period September 10–19, 1994, represents the first attempt to perform global coverage LIDAR measurements from space. The LITE experiment was planned to provide measurements of clouds, tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols, stratospheric temperature and density, characteristics of the planetary boundary level as well as surface albedo. Because of the relative distance between LITE ground tracks and the two southern Italy validation stations for all passes, measurements carried out in Napoli and Potenza were primarily aimed at validation of LITE stratospheric measurements. In the present preliminary analysis Potenza LIDAR measurements in coincidence with the orbit 128 LITE overpass, are reported and discussed. Potenza LIDAR data show a good agreement with LITE data in terms of aerosol scattering ratio both at 355nmand 532 nm(RA,355 and RA,532); the two data sets appearing to be highly correlated. LITE vs. Potenza LIDAR measurements of RA,355 and RA,532 display a correlation coefficient of 0.72 and 0.86, respectively. Stratospheric aerosol dimensional characteristics are determined starting from the measured values of the Ångstrom coefficient.