LITE Stratospheric Aerosol Measurements
The dispersion of volcanic aerosols in the stratosphere, at altitudes from the tropopause up to
25 or 30 km, and their effects on the global radiation budget have been studied using both
solar occultation and nadir-viewing satellite instruments, as well as by airborne lidars.
Spaceborne lidar can provide better spatial sampling than occultation instruments, better
vertical resolution and better sensitivity than a nadir-viewing instrument, and can provide
global coverage which is not possible from an aircraft platform. LITE provides a more
detailed look at dynamic mixing and transport processes than has been possible, and gives a
better indication of the degree of spatial homogeneity of the aerosol.