[1] We summarize our Raman lidar observations which were carried out in Europe, Asia, and Africa during the past 10 years, with focus on particle extinction-to-backscatter ratios (lidar ratios) and Å ngström exponents. For the first time, we present statistics on lidar ratios for almost all climatically relevant aerosol types solely based on Raman lidar measurements. Sources of continental particles were in North America and Europe, the Sahara, and south and Southeast and east Asia. The North Atlantic Ocean, and the tropical and South Indian Ocean were the sources of marine particles. The statistics are complemented with lidar ratios describing aged forest fire smoke and pollution from polar regions (Arctic haze) after long-range transport. In addition, we present particle Å ngström exponents for the wavelength range from 355 to 532 nm and from 532 to 1064 nm. We compare our data set of lidar ratios to the recently published AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) lidar ratio climatology. That climatology is based on aerosol scattering modeling in which AERONET Sun photometer observations serve as input. Raman lidar measurements of extinction-to-backscatter ratios of Saharan dust and urban aerosols differ significantly from the numbers obtained with AERONET Sun photometers. There are also differences for some of the Å ngström exponents. Further comparison studies are needed to reveal the reason for the observed differences.

Height profiles of the extinction and the backscatter coefficients in cirrus clouds are determined independently from elastic- and inelastic- (Raman) backscatter signals. An extended error analysis is given. Examples covering the measured range of extinction-to-backscatter ratios (lidar ratios) in ice clouds are presented. Lidar ratios between 5 and 15 sr are usually found. A strong variation between 2 and 20 sr can be observed within one cloud profile. Particle extinction coefficients determined from inelastic-backscatter signals and from elastic-backscatter signals by using the Klett method are compared. The Klett solution of the extinction profile can be highly erroneous if the lidar ratio varies along the measuring range. On the other hand, simple backscatter lidars can provide reliable information about the cloud optical depth and the mean cloud lidar ratio.

Published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported LicenseVertical profiles of the linear particle depolarization ratio of pure dust clouds were measured during the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM) at Ouarzazate, Morocco (30.9 degrees N, -6.9 degrees E), close to source regions in May-June 2006, with four lidar systems at four wavelengths (355, 532, 710 and 1064 nm). The intercomparison of the lidar systems is accompanied by a discussion of the different calibration methods, including a new, advanced method, and a detailed error analysis. Over the whole SAMUM periode pure dust layers show a mean linear particle depolarization ratio at 532 nm of 0.31, in the range between 0.27 and 0.35, with a mean angstrom ngstrom exponent (AE, 440-870 nm) of 0.18 (range 0.04-0.34) and still high mean linear particle depolarization ratio between 0.21 and 0.25 during periods with aerosol optical thickness less than 0.1, with a mean AE of 0.76 (range 0.65-1.00), which represents a negative correlation of the linear particle depolarization ratio with the AE. A slight decrease of the linear particle depolarization ratio with wavelength was found between 532 and 1064 nm from 0.31 +/- 0.03 to 0.27 +/- 0.04

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Abstract. Airborne lidar and in-situ measurements of aerosols and trace gases were performed in volcanic ash plumes over Europe between Southern Germany and Iceland with the Falcon aircraft during the eruption period of the Eyjafjalla 1 volcano between 19 April and 18 May 2010. Flight planning and measurement analyses were supported by a refined Meteosat ash product and trajectory model analysis. The volcanic ash plume was observed with lidar directly over the volcano and up to a distance of 2700 km downwind, and up to 120 h plume ages. Aged ash layers were between a few 100 m to 3 km deep, occurred between 1 and 7 km altitude, and were typically 100 to 300 km wide. Particles collected by impactors had diameters up to 20 µm diameter, with size and age dependent composition. Ash mass concentrations were derived from optical particle spectrometers for aCorrespondence to: U. Schumann (ulrich.schumann@dlr.de) 1 Also known as Eyjafjallajökull or Eyjafjöll volcano, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1683937/ Eyjafjallajokull-volcano particle density of 2.6 g cm −3 and various values of the refractive index (RI, real part: 1.59; 3 values for the imaginary part: 0, 0.004 and 0.008). The mass concentrations, effective diameters and related optical properties were compared with ground-based lidar observations. Theoretical considerations of particle sedimentation constrain the particle diameters to those obtained for the lower RI values. The ash mass concentration results have an uncertainty of a factor of two. The maximum ash mass concentration encountered during the 17 flights with 34 ash plume penetrations was below 1 mg m −3 . The Falcon flew in ash clouds up to about 0.8 mg m −3 for a few minutes and in an ash cloud with approximately 0.2 mg m −3 mean-concentration for about one hour without engine damage. The ash plumes were rather dry and correlated with considerable CO and SO 2 increases and O 3 decreases. To first order, ash concentration and SO 2 mixing ratio in the plumes decreased by a factor of two within less than a day. In fresh plumes, the SO 2 and CO concentration increases were correlated with the ash mass concentration. The ash plumes were often visible slantwise as faint dark layers, even for concentrations below 0.1 mg m −3 .Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. U. Schumann et al.: Airborne observations of the Eyjafjalla volcano ash cloud over EuropeThe large abundance of volatile Aitken mode particles suggests previous nucleation of sulfuric acid droplets. The effective diameters range between 0.2 and 3 µm with considerable surface and volume contributions from the Aitken and coarse mode aerosol, respectively. The distal ash mass flux on 2 May was of the order of 500 (240-1600) kg s −1 . The volcano induced about 10 (2.5-50) Tg of distal ash mass and about 3 (0.6-23) Tg of SO 2 during the whole eruption period. The results of the Falcon flights were used to support the responsible agencies in their decisions concerning air traffic in the presence of v...

Abstract. The European Aerosol Research Lidar Network, EARLINET, was founded in 2000 as a research project for establishing a quantitative, comprehensive, and statistically significant database for the horizontal, vertical, and temporal distribution of aerosols on a continental scale. Since then EARLINET has continued to provide the most extensive collection of ground-based data for the aerosol vertical distribution over Europe. This paper gives an overview of the network's main developments since 2000 and introduces the dedicated EAR-LINET special issue, which reports on the present innovative and comprehensive technical solutions and scientific results related to the use of advanced lidar remote sensing techniques for the study of aerosol properties as developed within the network in the last 13 years.Since 2000, EARLINET has developed greatly in terms of number of stations and spatial distribution: from 17 stations in 10 countries in 2000 to 27 stations in 16 countries in 2013. EARLINET has developed greatly also in terms of technological advances with the spread of advanced multiwavelength Raman lidar stations in Europe. The developments for the quality assurance strategy, the optimization of instruments and data processing, and the dissemination of data have contributed to a significant improvement of the network towards a more sustainable observing system, with an increase in the observing capability and a reduction of operational costs.Consequently, EARLINET data have already been extensively used for many climatological studies, long-range transport events, Saharan dust outbreaks, plumes from volcanic eruptions, and for model evaluation and satellite data validation and integration.Future plans are aimed at continuous measurements and near-real-time data delivery in close cooperation with other ground-based networks, such as in the ACTRIS (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network) www.actris.net, and with the modeling and satellite community, linking the research community with the operational world, with the aim of establishing of the atmospheric part of the European component of the integrated global observing system.

A method is presented that permits the determination of atmospheric aerosol extinction profiles from measured Raman lidar signals. No critical input parameters are needed, which could cause large uncertainties of the solution, as is the case in the Klett method for the inversion of elastic lidar returns.

Abstract. The atmospheric science community demands autonomous and quality-assured vertically resolved measurements of aerosol and cloud properties. For this purpose, a portable lidar called Polly was developed at TROPOS in 2003. The lidar system was continuously improved with gained experience from the EARLINET community, involvement in worldwide field campaigns, and international institute collaborations within the last 10 years. Here we present recent changes of the setup of the portable multiwavelength Raman and polarization lidar Polly XT and discuss the improved capabilities of the system by means of a case study. The latest system developments include an additional nearrange receiver unit for Raman measurements of the backscatter and extinction coefficient down to 120 m above ground, a water-vapor channel, and channels for simultaneous measurements of the particle linear depolarization ratio at 355 and 532 nm. Quality improvements were achieved by systematically following the EARLINET guidelines and the international PollyNET quality assurance developments. A modified ship radar ensures measurements in agreement with air-traffic safety regulations and allows for 24/7 monitoring of the atmospheric state with Polly XT .