Dynamic range of sea surface echo intensity using airborne oceanic lidar: an off-nadir angle perspective

This study investigates the effects of laser off-nadir angles on sea surface echo dynamic range in airborne oceanic lidar.Using a dual-wavelength (486/532 nm) system with fixed off-nadir angles, varied aircraft rolls generated adjustable offnadir angles.Experimental results reveal two to three orders of magnitude sea surface signal variations at 0-35off-nadir angles.A range of experimental results have shown that when the aircraft is at a lower altitude, saturation occurs at 0-10but is avoided at 15-35.Comparisons with simulations confirm that optimizing off-nadir angles reduces dynamic range occupancy and prevents saturation, enhancing lidar performance in oceanic profiling.