LITE Surface Measurements

Once the lidar is calibrated, the magnitude of the surface return can be used to obtain the surface reflectance or albedo. The spectral dependence of the surface reflectance can be used to discriminate vegetation and different land surface types. Over the ocean, the spectral dependence gives a measure of the amount of dissolved and particulate matter present. Although, the primary focus of the LITE mission was on atmospheric measurements a limited set of surface data was acquired.

As part of another surface study, the Shuttle was pitched 30 degrees about nadir over several ocean sites using the Shuttle Landmark Track mode. The laser footprint was maintained at a constant position during the maneuver, allowing the variation in surface backscatter with angle of incidence to be observed. This variation is highly dependent on the surface wind speed and provides a potential means of monitoring surface wind speeds over the oceans.