Depolarization, backscatter, and attenuation of CO2 lidar by cirrus clouds

In the study reported, a CO2 10.6-micron coherent lidar system was used to determine optical properties of cirrus clouds. The properties determined were the absolute value of the backscatter coefficient, total attenuation (optical thickness), and depolarization of the backscattered radiation. The lidar system used and the experimental procedure are discussed, and an analysis of the observational data is presented. It is demonstrated that coherent IR lidar can be a useful tool in cloud particle studies.