Retrieval Algorithm of Middle Atmospheric Temperature Using Rayleigh Lidar

Rayleigh lidar is an important equipment to measure temperature of the mesosphere. It has the capacity for continuous detection with high spatial and temporal resolution. To take full advantage of the original data obtained by Rayleigh lidar, the conventional Chanin-Haunchecorne method is improved. The initial temperatures adopted by the improved algorithm are obtained by uniform search, and then the atmospheric temperature can be inversed. The Rayleigh lidar located in Yanqing, Beijing (40.3°N, 116.2°E) consists of a 589 nm channel and a 532 nm channel. The 589 nm channel is used for calculating atmospheric temperature, and the 532 nm channel is taken as the reference of the former. The initial temperatures are chosen at regular intervals from 150 to 250°K, and the temperature profiles and its corresponding density profiles from 60 km to 70 km altitude is retrieved with the 589 nm channel. The accurate temperature and the corresponding temperature profile can be obtained according to the reference density profile. This reversed temperature profile is compared with that of 532 nm channel. The results show that they have good agreement with each other. This improved algorithm takes full advantage of optical signals with poor signal-to-noise ratio, and improves the upper detection limit of atmospheric temperature with 589 nm channel from 60 km to 70 km. The method is reliable.