UAVC: A New Method for Correcting Lidar Overlap Factors Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Vertical Detection

Abstract

A method to calibrate the overlap factor of Lidar is proposed, named unmanned aerial vehicle correction (UAVC), which uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to detect the vertical distribution of particle concentrations. The conversion relationship between the particulate matter concentration and the aerosol extinction coefficient is inverted by the high-altitude coincidence of the vertical detection profiles of the UAV and Lidar. Using this conversion relationship, the Lidar signal without the influence of the overlap factor can be inverted. Then, the overlap factor profile is obtained by comparing the signal with the original Lidar signal. A 355 nm Raman-Mie Lidar and UAV were used to measure overlap factors under different weather conditions. After comparison with the Raman method, it is found that the overlap factors calculated by the two methods are in good agreement. The changing trend of the extinction coefficient at each height is relatively consistent, after comparing the inversion result of the corrected Lidar signal with the ground data. The results show that after the continuously measured Lidar signal is corrected by the overlap factor measured by this method, low-altitude aerosol information can be effectively obtained.

Investigation of the Vertical Distribution Characteristics and Microphysical Properties of Summer Mineral Dust Masses over the Taklimakan Desert Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

“…Currently, the unique advantages attributed to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), namely, having strong mobility and stability, and being exhaust-free, low-risk, and cost-effective, help detect lower tropospheric atmospheres and are considered one of the most suitable platforms for observing the vertical distribution of aerosols and measuring their physical and optical properties. UAV observations can be nicely coordinated with other observations, such as vertical data observed in the lower atmosphere, which can provide excellent constraints for the algorithm of lidar inversion of the microphysical properties of aerosols [39].…”

Design of Lidar Data Acquisition and Control System in High Repetition Rate and Photon-Counting Mode: Providing Testing for Space-Borne Lidar

“…The laser interacts with particles or various gas molecules in the atmosphere, and the backscattered echo signals are collected, which are eventually used to obtain atmospheric parameters through data inversion and analysis [ 1 , 2 ]. Lidar is widely used to detect atmospheric aerosols, water vapors, ozone, or temperature due to its high spatial and temporal resolution and high detection accuracy [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. It mainly consists of a laser transmitter unit, an optical receiver unit, an acquisition unit, and a control unit [ 6 , 7 ], of which the acquisition unit and the control unit are important components [ 8 ].…”

Lidar- and UAV-Based Vertical Observation of Spring Ozone and Particulate Matter in Nanjing, China

“…With the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology and sensor integration, UAV-based atmospheric environment monitoring has been gradually used. UAV-based detection can compensate for the overlap area of Lidar [22], allowing for more complete vertical profiles of PM 2.5 and ozone. Chang et al [23] collected aerial samples at 300 m using a six-rotor UAV and compared them with surface air samples, and found large differences in pollutant concentration and composition between the surface and aerial samples, implying an inhomogeneous mixing, under local circulation and high-pressure peripheral circulation conditions.…”