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NASA NTRS1991

NOAA backscatter studies

In the past year, NOAA has measured and analyzed another year's worth of backscatter over Boulder, CO. The average profile was computed from 80 satellite observations of backscatter spread throughout the year, using NOAA's CO2 coherent lidar operating at a wavelength of 10.59 microns. The seasonal averages show a familiar trend (highest backscattering in spring, perhaps due to Asian dust or biomass burning, and lowest backscattering in fall). The 1990 average profile was not significantly different from the 1988 or 1989 profiles, except that it displays a slight increase in the upper troposphere, perhaps due to the Redoubt Volcano. The NOAA's backscatter processing program (BETA) was refined to enable the calculation of gaseous absorption effects based on rawinsonde measurements, as well as using atmospheric models. NOAA participated in two intercomparisons of aerosol measuring instruments near Boulder, called FRLAB (Front Range Lidar, Aircraft, and Balloon Experiment). Considerable effort was also put into developing a multiagency science proposal to NASA headquarters to work with both JPL and NASA-Marshall to produce an airborne Doppler lidar facility for the DC-8.

Post, Madison J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Aerosol backscatter measurements at 10.6 microns with airborne and ground-based CO2 Doppler lidars over the Colorado High Plains. I - Lidar intercomparison

An airborne continuous-wave (CW) focused CO2 Doppler lidar and a ground-based pulsed CO2 Doppler lidar were to obtain seven pairs of comparative measurements of tropospheric aerosol backscatter profiles at 10.6-micron wavelength, near Denver, Colorado, during a 20-day period in July 1982. In regions of uniform backscatter, the two lidars show good agreement, with differences usually less than about 50 percent near 8-km altitude and less than a factor of 2 or 3 elsewhere but with the pulsed lidar often lower than the CW lidar. Near sharp backscatter gradients, the two lidars show poorer agreement, with the pulsed lidar usually higher than the CW lidar. Most discrepancies arise from a combination of atmospheric factors and instrument factors, particularly small-scale areal and temporal backscatter heterogeneity above the planetary boundary layer, unusual large-scale vertical backscatter structure in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, and differences in the spatial resolution, detection threshold, and noise estimation for the two lidars.

Bowdle, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Modeling multi-frequency diurnal backscatter from a walnut orchard

The Michigan Microwave Canopy Scattering Model (MIMICS) is used to model scatterometer data that were obtained during the August 1987 EOS (Earth Observing System) synergism study. During this experiment, truck-based scatterometers were used to measure radar backscatter from a walnut orchard in Fresno County, California. Multipolarized L- and X-band data were recorded for orchard plots for which dielectric and evapotranspiration characteristics were monitored. MIMICS is used to model a multiangle data set in which a single orchard plot was observed at varying impedance angles and a series of diurnal measurements in which backscatter from this same plot was measured continuously over several 24-h periods. MIMICS accounts for variations in canopy backscatter driven by changes in canopy state that occur diurnally as well as on longer time scales. L-band backscatter is dependent not only on properties of the vegetation but also on properties of the underlying soil surface. The behavior of the X-band backscatter is dominated by properties of the tree crowns.

Mcdonald, Kyle C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Effect of species structure and dielectric constant on C-band forest backscatter

A joint experiment between Canadian and USA research teams was conducted early in Oct. 1992 to determine the effect of species structure and dielectric variations on forest backscatter. Two stands, one red pine and one jack pine, in the Petawawa National Forestry Institute (PNFI) were utilized for the experiment. Extensive tree architecture measurements had been taken by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) several months earlier by employing a Total Station surveying instrument which provides detailed information on branch structure. A second part of the experiment consisted of cutting down several trees and using dielectric probes to measure branch and needle permittivity values at both sites. The dielectric and the tree geometry data were used in the George Washington University (GWU) Vegetation Model to determine the C band backscattering coefficients of the individual stands for VV polarization. The model results show that backscatter at C band comes mainly from the needles and small branches and the upper portion of the trunks acts only as an attenuator. A discussion of variation of backscatter with specie structure and how dielectric variations in needles for both species may affect the total backscatter returns is provided.

Lang, R. H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Relating multifrequency radar backscattering to forest biomass: Modeling and AIRSAR measurement

During the last several years, significant efforts in microwave remote sensing were devoted to relating forest parameters to radar backscattering coefficients. These and other studies showed that in most cases, the longer wavelength (i.e. P band) and cross-polarization (HV) backscattering had higher sensitivity and better correlation to forest biomass. This research examines this relationship in a northern forest area through both backscatter modeling and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data analysis. The field measurements were used to estimate stand biomass from forest weight tables. The backscatter model described by Sun et al. was modified to simulate the backscattering coefficients with respect to stand biomass. The average number of trees per square meter or radar resolution cell, and the average tree height or diameter breast height (dbh) in the forest stand are the driving parameters of the model. The rest of the soil surface, orientation, and size distributions of leaves and branches, remain unchanged in the simulations.

Sun, Guo-Qing↗

NASA NTRS1995

Theoretical and experimental models of the diffuse radar backscatter from Mars

The general objective for this work was to develop a theoretically and experimentally consistent explanation for the diffuse component of radar backscatter from Mars. The strength, variability, and wavelength independence of Mars' diffuse backscatter are unique among our Moon and the terrestrial planets. This diffuse backscatter is generally attributed to wavelength-scale surface roughness and to rock clasts within the Martian regolith. Through the combination of theory and experiment, the authors attempted to bound the range of surface characteristics that could produce the observed diffuse backscatter. Through these bounds they gained a limited capability for data inversion. Within this umbrella, specific objectives were: (1) To better define the statistical roughness parameters of Mars' surface so that they are consistent with observed radar backscatter data, and with the physical and chemical characteristics of Mars' surface as inferred from Mariner 9, the Viking probes, and Earth-based spectroscopy; (2) To better understand the partitioning between surface and volume scattering in the Mars regolith; (3) To develop computational models of Mars' radio emission that incorporate frequency dependent, surface and volume scattering.

England, A. W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A C-band backscatter model for lake ice in Alaska

ERS-1 SAR imagery of lake ice growing on shallow tundra lakes in northern Alaska shows interesting radar backscatter variations. Based on the analysis of ice cores from these lakes, a multi-layer backscatter model comprised of the following elements has been developed: (1) specular air-ice; ice-water and ice-frozen soil boundaries; (2) an ice layer of variable thickness; (3) ice sub-layers with air inclusions of variable density, size and shape including spheres, prolate spheroids, and cylinders of finite length. Preliminary model results confirm that backscatter is a sensitive function of greater reflectivity than from an ice-frozen soil interface. The model has also been tested using bubble data derived from ice cores in April 1992. The modelled backscatter is compared with backscatter derived from ERS-1 SAR images obtained at the same time as the fieldwork.

Wakabayashi, H.↗

NASA NTRS1998

First results from the aerosol lidar and backscatter sonde intercomparison campaign STRAIT'1997 at table mountain facility during February-March 1997

First results of an intercomparison measurement campaign between three aerosol lidar instruments and in-situ backscatter sondes performed at Table Mountain Facility (34.4 deg N, 117.7 deg E, 2280 m asl) in February-March 1997 are presented. During the campaign a total of 414 hours of lidar data were acquired by the Aerosol-Temperature-Lidar (ATL, Goddard Space Flight Center) the Mobile-aerosol-Raman-Lidar (MARL, Alfred Wegener Institute), and the TMF-Aerosol-Lidar (TAL, Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and four backscatter sondes were launched. From the data set altitude profiles of backscatter ratio and volume depolarization of stratospheric background aerosols at altitudes between 15 and 25 km and optically thin high-altitude cirrus clouds at altitudes below 13 km are derived. On the basis of a sulfuric acid aerosol model color ratio profiles obtained from two wavelength lidar data are compared to the corresponding profiles derived from the sonde observations. We find an excellent agreement between the in-situ and ATL lidar data with respect to backscatter and color ratio. Cirrus clouds were present on 16 of 26 nights during the campaign. Lidar observations with 17 minute temporal and 120-300 m spatial resolution indicate high spatial and temporal variability of the cirrus layers. Qualitative agreement is found between concurrent lidar measurements of backscatter ratio and volume depolarization.

Beyerle, G.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Application of HARLIE Measurements in Mesoscale Studies: Measurements of Aerosol Backscatter and Winds During A Gust Front

Lidar atmospheric systems have required large telescope for receiving atmospheric backscatter signals. Thus, the relative complexity in size and ease of operation has limited their wider use in the atmospheric science and meteorology community. The Holographic Airborne Rotating Lidar Instrument Experiment (HARLIE) uses a scanning holographic receiver and demonstrates that these issues can be overcome. HARLIE participated at the DOE-ARM Southern Great Plains site (CART) during the Water Vapor Intensive Operation Period (WVIOP2000) held September-October 2000. It provided exceptional high temporal and spatial resolution measurements of aerosol and cloud backscatter in three dimensions. HARLIE recorded over 110 hours of data were recorded on 16 days between 17 September and 6 October 2000. Placed in a ground-based trailer for upward looking scanning measurements of clouds and aerosols, HARLIE provided a unique record of time-resolved atmospheric backscatter at 1-micron wavelength. The conical scanning lidar measures atmospheric backscatter on the surface of an inverted 90 degree (full angle) cone up to an altitude of 20 km, 360-degree scans having spatial resolutions of 20 meters in the vertical and 1 degree in azimuth were obtained every 36 seconds during the daily, operating period. In this study we present highlights of HARLIE-based measurements of the boundary layer and cloud parameters as well as atmospheric wind vectors where there is sufficiently resolved structure in the backscatter. In particular we present data and discussions from a bore-front case observed on 23 September 2000.

Demoz, Belay↗

NASA NTRS2004

An Aerosol Extinction-to-Backscatter Ratio Database Derived from the NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network: Applications for Space-based Lidar Observations

Backscatter lidar signals are a function of both backscatter and extinction. Hence, these lidar observations alone cannot separate the two quantities. The aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio, S, is the key parameter required to accurately retrieve extinction and optical depth from backscatter lidar observations of aerosol layers. S is commonly defined as 4*pi divided by the product of the single scatter albedo and the phase function at 180-degree scattering angle. Values of S for different aerosol types are not well known, and are even more difficult to determine when aerosols become mixed. Here we present a new lidar-sunphotometer S database derived from Observations of the NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET). MPLNET is a growing worldwide network of eye-safe backscatter lidars co-located with sunphotometers in the NASA Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). Values of S for different aerosol species and geographic regions will be presented. A framework for constructing an S look-up table will be shown. Look-up tables of S are needed to calculate aerosol extinction and optical depth from space-based lidar observations in the absence of co-located AOD data. Applications for using the new S look-up table to reprocess aerosol products from NASA's Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) will be discussed.

Welton, Ellsworth J.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Quantitative Analysis of Venus Radar Backscatter Data in ArcGIS

Ongoing mapping of the Ganiki Planitia (V14) quadrangle of Venus and definition of material units has involved an integrated but qualitative analysis of Magellan radar backscatter images and topography using standard geomorphological mapping techniques. However, such analyses do not take full advantage of the quantitative information contained within the images. Analysis of the backscatter coefficient allows a much more rigorous statistical comparison between mapped units, permitting first order selfsimilarity tests of geographically separated materials assigned identical geomorphological labels. Such analyses cannot be performed directly on pixel (DN) values from Magellan backscatter images, because the pixels are scaled to the Muhleman law for radar echoes on Venus and are not corrected for latitudinal variations in incidence angle. Therefore, DN values must be converted based on pixel latitude back to their backscatter coefficient values before accurate statistical analysis can occur. Here we present a method for performing the conversions and analysis of Magellan backscatter data using commonly available ArcGIS software and illustrate the advantages of the process for geological mapping.

Long, S. M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Backscatter Characteristics of the Winter Sea Ice Cover in the Beaufort

The microwave backscatter statistics of the sea ice cover in the winter Beaufort Sea were characterized using C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data collected by ERS-1. Sea ice backscatter signatures were sampled from SAR image data collected during the winter of 1991/92 and winter of 1992/93. The spatial and temporal variabilities of the backscatter signatures of different ice types are discussed. The results show considerable seasonal stability of the backscatter signature of multi-year ice as well as first-year ice. Small amplitude regional variations of the multi-year ice backscatter can be observed. Consistent contrast between multiyear ice and first-year ice is maintained throughout the season.

Kwok, R.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Extinction-to-Backscatter Ratios of Lofted Aerosol Layers Observed During the First Three Months of CALIPSO Measurements

Case studies from the first three months of the Cloud and Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Spaceborne Observations (CALIPSO) measurements of lofted aerosol layers are analyzed using transmittance [Young, 1995] and two-wavelength algorithms [Vaughan et al., 2004] to determine the aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratios at 532 and 1064 nm. The transmittance method requires clear air below the layer so that the transmittance through the layer can be determined. Suitable scenes are selected from the browse images and clear air below features is identified by low 532 nm backscatter signal and confirmed by low depolarization and color ratios. The transmittance and two-wavelength techniques are applied to a number of lofted layers and the extinction-to-backscatter ratios are compared with values obtained from the CALIPSO aerosol models [Omar et al., 2004]. The results obtained from these studies are used to adjust the aerosol models and develop observations based extinction-to-backscatter ratio look-up tables and phase functions. Values obtained by these techniques are compared to Sa determinations using other independent methods with a goal of developing probability distribution functions of aerosol type-specific extinction to backscatter ratios. In particular, the results are compared to values determined directly by the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) during the CALIPSO CloudSat Validation Experiments (CCVEX) and Sa determined by the application of the two-wavelength lidar Constrained Ratio Aerosol Model-fit (CRAM) retrieval approach [Cattrall et al., 2005; Reagan et al., 2004] to the HSRL data. The results are also compared to values derived using the empirical relationship between the multiple-scattering fraction and the linear depolarization ratio by using Monte Carlo simulations of water clouds [Hu et al., 2006].

Omar, Ali H.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Retrieval of Ocean Subsurface Particulate Backscattering Coefficient from Space-Borne CALIOP Lidar Measurement

A new approach has been proposed to determine ocean subsurface particulate backscattering coefficient bbp from CALIOP 30deg off-nadir lidar measurements. The new method also provides estimates of the particle volume scattering function at the 180deg scattering angle. The CALIOP based layer-integrated lidar backscatter and particulate backscattering coefficients are compared with the results obtained from MODIS ocean color measurements. The comparison analysis shows that ocean subsurface lidar backscatter and particulate backscattering coefficient bbp can be accurately obtained from CALIOP lidar measurements, thereby supporting the use of space-borne lidar measurements for ocean subsurface studies.

Lu, Xiaomei↗

NASA NTRS2019

EARLINET Evaluation of the CATS L2 Aerosol Backscatter Coefficient Product

We present the evaluation activity of the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) for the quantitative assessment of the Level 2 aerosol backscatter coefficient product derived by the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The study employs correlative CATS and EARLINET backscatter measurements within 50km distance between the ground station and the ISS overpass and as close in time as possible, typically within 90min, from February 2015 to September 2016. The results demonstrate the good agreement of CATS Level 2 backscatter coefficient and EARLINET. Three ISS overpasses close to the EARLINET stations of Leipzig-Germany, Ã‰vora-Portugal and Dushanbe-Tajikistan are analysed here to demonstrate the performance of CATS lidar system under different conditions. The results show that under cloud-free, relative homogeneous aerosol conditions CATS is in good agreement with EARLINET, independently of daytime/nighttime conditions. CATS low negative biases, partially attributed to the deficiency of lidar systems to detect tenuous aerosol layers of backscatter signal below the minimum detection thresholds, may lead to systematic deviations and slight underestimations of the total Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) in climate studies. In addition, CATS misclassification of aerosol layers as clouds, and vice versa, in cases of coexistent and/or adjacent aerosol and cloud features, may lead to non-representative, unrealistic and cloud contaminated aerosol profiles. The distributions of backscatter coefficient biases show the relatively good agreement between the CATS and EARLINET measurements, although on average underestimations are observed, 22.3% during daytime and 6.1% during nighttime.

EARLINET/CATS evaluation↗

NASA NTRS2004

Backscattering enhancement with a finite beam width for millimeter - wavelength weather radars

Backscattering enhancement from random hydrometeors should increase as wavelengths of radars reach millimeter regions. For 95 GHz radars, the reflectivity of backscattering is expected to increase by 2 dB, due to multiple scattering including backscattering enhancement, for water droplets of diameter of 1 mm with a density of 5×103 m−3. Previous theoretical studies of backscattering enhancement considered infinitely extending plane waves. In this paper, we expand the theory to spherical waves with a Gaussian antenna pattern, including depolarizing effects. While the differences from the plane wave results are not great when the optical thickness is small, as the latter increases the differences become significant, and essentially depend on the ratio of radar footprint radius to the mean free path of hydrometeors. In this regime, for a radar footprint that is smaller than the mean free path, the backscattering-enhancement reflectivity corresponding to spherical waves is significantly less pronounced than in the case of the plane wave theory. Hence this reduction factor must be taken into account when analyzing radar reflectivity factors for use in remote sensing applications.

Im, Eastwood↗

NASA NTRS2020

EARLINET evaluation of the CATS Level 2 aerosol backscatter coefficient product

We present the evaluation activity of the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) for the quantitative assessment of the Level 2 aerosol backscatter coefficient product derived by the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) aboard the International Space Station (ISS; Rodier et al., 2015). The study employs correlative CATS and EARLINET backscatter measurements within a 50 km distance between the ground station and the ISS overpass and as close in time as possible, typically with the starting time or stopping time of the EARLINET performed measurement time window within 90 min of the ISS overpass, for the period from February 2015 to September 2016. The results demonstrate the good agreement of the CATS Level 2 backscatter coefficient and EARLINET. Three ISS overpasses close to the EARLINET stations of Leipzig, Germany; Évora, Portugal; and Dushanbe, Tajikistan, are analyzed here to demonstrate the performance of the CATS lidar system under different conditions. The results show that under cloud-free, relative homogeneous aerosol conditions, CATS is in good agreement with EARLINET, independent of daytime and nighttime conditions. CATS low negative biases are observed, partially attributed to the deficiency of lidar systems to detect tenuous aerosol layers of backscatter signal below the minimum detection thresholds; these are biases which may lead to systematic deviations and slight underestimations of the total aerosol optical depth (AOD) in climate studies. In addition, CATS misclassification of aerosol layers as clouds, and vice versa, in cases of coexistent and/or adjacent aerosol and cloud features, occasionally leads to non-representative, unrealistic, and cloud-contaminated aerosol profiles. Regarding solar illumination conditions, low negative biases in CATS backscatter coefficient profiles, of the order of 6.1 %, indicate the good nighttime performance of CATS. During daytime, a reduced signal-to-noise ratio by solar background illumination prevents retrievals of weakly scattering atmospheric layers that would otherwise be detectable during nighttime, leading to higher negative biases, of the order of 22.3 %.

Emmanouil Proestakis↗

DOE OSTI2025

Modeling and Characterizing the electron backscatter in a cylindrical anode-based distributed X-ray source

Upcoming advancements in computed tomography architectures warrants the investigation of new X-ray source designs and the impacts that electron backscatter can have on these designs. One such design being investigated is a distributed, cylindrical anode-based X-ray source. For such a distributed X-ray source, we developed a modeling pipeline for simulating electron optics and transport to characterize the quality of the primary X-ray beam and the electron backscatter behavior. We report our results on the energy distributions of the bremsstrahlung spectra; electron backscatter ratio; and spatial, temporal, and energy distributions of backscattered electrons that return to the anode.

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