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.