Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment

Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) used a laser, a telescope approximately 1 meter in diameter and a modular design. The system was used to study clouds, tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols, characteristics of the planetary boundary layer, stratospheric density and temperature perturbations, and to some degree, surface topography.

LITE Project Page

Disciplines:   Aerosols Clouds Field Campaigns
Collection Disciplines Spatial Temporal
LITE_L1_1
Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE) L1
Aerosols Spatial Coverage:
(S: -60, N: 60), (W: -180, E: 180)
Vertical Resolution Range:
10 meters - < 30 meters
Vertical Resolution:
15  m (approximate)
Temporal Coverage:
1994-09-10 - 1994-09-19
Temporal Resolution Range:
< 1 second
Temporal Resolution:
0.1 second

LITE Mission Publications

Berthier S, Chazette P, Couvert P, Pelon J, Dulac F, Thieuleux F, Moulin C, Pain T (2006). Desert dust aerosol columnar properties over ocean and continental Africa from Lidar in-Space Technology Experiment (LITE) and Meteosat synergy. Journal of Geophysical Research, 111 (D21202), https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JD006999


Berthier S, Chazette P, Pelon J, F.Dulac, Thieuleux F, Moulin C (2006). African Dust over ocean and continent by coupling active and passive remote sensors.


Berthier S, and P. Chazette, J. Pelon C S T M P WPLFC, and J. Pelon, P. Couvert S T M P WLFCT, and P. Couvert, L. Sauvage T M P WFCTD, and L. Sauvage, F. Thieuleux M P WCTDM, Thieuleux F, Moulin C, Pain T, Winker DM (2005). Dust aerosol optical properties on the vertical from lidars in-space and ground based and METEOSAT synergy.


Berthier S, Pelon J, Chazette P, Couvert P, Sèze G, Bréon FM, Lalande M, Winker DM, Pain T (2004). Cloud statistics from spaceborne backscatter lidar data analysis.


Berthier S, Chazette P, Pelon J, Couvert P, Bréon FM (2003). Dust aerosol optical thickness from LITE and METEOSAT synergy.


Berthier S, Chazette P, Pelon J, Couvert P, Pain T (2003). Cloud layer statistics from spaceborne lidar observation.


Young SA (2001). An investigation into the performance of algorithms used to retrieve cloud parameters from LITE lidar data, and implications for their use with PICASSO-CENA lidar data. Retrieved from http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/young_2001a.pdf


Osborn MT, Kent GS, Trepte CR (1998). Stratospheric aerosol measurements by the Lidar in Space Technology Experiment. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103 (D10), 11447. https://doi.org/10.1029/97JD03429