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Instrument

DIAL
Differential Absorption Lidar

The Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) is an airborne lidar system developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC). It uses four lasers to detect lidar backscatter and provide profile measurements of ozone and aerosols in the atmosphere. DIAL operates in the ultraviolet (289-300 nm) for ozone detection and in the visible (572-600 nm) and infrared (1064 nm) for aerosols. It has a horizontal spatial resolution of approximately 15 km and a measurement accuracy of 5 ppbv.

Image of the DIAL lidar system
NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Instrument Details

Lidar
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Oxygen Compounds > Ozone
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Lidar > Lidar Backscatter
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Backscatter
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Lidar > Lidar Depolarization Ratio
Full Column Profile
N/A
15 km
999-1037 THz, 500-524 THz, 282 THz
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.205568External Link
ABLE

Global Tropospheric Experiment - Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment

1984—1990
Tropical North Atlantic Ocean, Amazon Rainforest, Greenland, Eastern Canada, Alaska
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5 Deployments
· 0 Data Products
TRACE

Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry near the Equator

1992—2001
Brazil, Southern Africa, Tropical Atlantic, Central & Western Regions of the Pacific Ocean Basin
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2 Deployments
· 0 Data Products
MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006
Mexico City Metropolitan Area
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1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products

Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.

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10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/SONEX_AircraftRemoteSensing_DC8_DIAL_Data_1External Link
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/TOTE-VOTE_Ground_Data_1External Link
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/TOTE-VOTE_AircraftRemoteSensing_DC8_DIAL_Data_1External Link