Tropospheric aerosol measurements from the PICASSO-CENA spaceborne lidar - capabilities and applications

Tropospheric aerosols are important to the global chemistry of the atmosphere, as well as affecting the radiation budget of the Earth by scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation. Global measurements of aerosols requires observation from satellite platforms, but the abilities of current passive sensors are limited. The PICASSO-CENA mission was recently selected as a new project of the NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program to study the role of aerosols and clouds in the climate system. The PICASSO-CENA payload includes three instruments and will measure tropospheric aerosols using a three-channel lidar, beginning in 2003. The Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) demonstrated in 1994 that space lidar can provide sensitive measurements of aerosols over bright and heterogeneous land surfaces as well as beneath thin clouds. Lidar observation of aerosol vertical and horizontal distribution will allow greatly improved understanding of aerosol distribution and transport and improve our understanding of aerosol sources and sinks. The PICASSO-CENA satellite will fly together with the already planned EOS Aqua satellite to provide additional data on aerosol properties and radiative effects. This paper will discuss characteristics and potential applications of the PICASSO-CENA aerosol data, based on results from LITE.