Ångström exponent impact on the aerosol optical properties obtained from vibrational–rotational Raman lidar observations

Abstract. Vertical profiles of aerosol properties are essential for assessing the impact of aerosols on cloud formation and the Earth's radiation budget. Lidars can provide profiles of the particle backscatter and extinction coefficients and the extinction-to-backscatter ratio (lidar ratio). An Ångström exponent has to be assumed when computing these profiles from nitrogen vibrational–rotational Raman signals. This assumption introduces uncertainties. An alternative approach is the rotational Raman lidar method, which does not need an Ångström exponent as input. This study presents a quantitative comparison between the pure rotational and vibrational–rotational Raman lidar approaches to assess the impact of the Ångström exponent assumption on the vibrational–rotational Raman lidar solutions. In this short article, we present four contrasting case studies based on observations of wildfire smoke, Saharan dust, residential wood combustion smoke, and a cirrus layer. The optical properties are derived at a wavelength of 532 nm, with the rotational Raman signals measured at 530 nm and the vibrational–rotational Raman signals measured at 607 nm. It was found that the use of an Ångström exponent, deviating by 1 from the true value, introduces relative uncertainties of 5 % and less (backscatter coefficient), 5 %–10 % (extinction coefficient), and around 10 % (lidar ratio) in the vibrational–rotational Raman lidar solutions.