White paper
Vaisala Lidar Ceilometer CL61: Depolarization measurement with ceilometer
Vaisala introduces the depolarization measurement capability to a high-end profiling ceilometer, setting a new standard in analysis and applications. Depolarization provides straightforward identification of liquid and ice clouds, precipitation type, and melting layer, as well as good potential for monitoring aerosols, smoke, dust, and volcanic ash.
1.What is depolarization?
Lidar ceilometers emit linearlypolarized laser pulses. When a portion of this light scatters back towards the instrument, the polarization direction may change. This depolarization depends strongly on scatterer shape, orientation, and laser wavelength.
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