Graphical Abstract

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Sakai, T., T. Nagai, N. Orikasa, Y. Zaizen, K. Yamashita, Y. Mano, and M. Murakami, 2013: Aerosol characterization by dual-wavelength polarization lidar measurements over Kochi, Japan during the warm seasons of 2008 to 2010. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 91, 789-800.
https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2013-605
Graphical Abstract

Highlights:

• The particle backscattering coefficient at 532 nm correlated well with the number concentration of aerosols with diameter exceeding 0.3 m (correlation coefficient = 0.89).
• The depolarization ratio (δ) was high (20%) and the backscatter wavelength exponent (å) was low (<0.5) between altitudes of 4 and 6 km, and they were low (δ = 2.5%) and moderate (å = 0.7) between 0.5 and 1.0 km, suggesting the presence of supermicrometer-sized, non-spherical particles in the upper altitude range and a predominance of submicrometer-sized particles and/or spherical particles in the lower altitude range. These values were consistent with aircraft measurements, indicating the presence of supermicrometer-sized mineral particles in the upper altitude range and a predominance of submicrometer-sized sulfates and supermicrometer-sized sea-salt droplets at lower altitude.
• Our results demonstrate the utility of lidar data for aerosol characterization, although further improvement of CCN characterization by lidar is necessary.