Compact mobile lidar system based on the LabVIEW code: applications in urban air pollution monitoring in Athens, Greece

The LIDAR technique is an efficient tool for continuous monitoring of air pollution over urban areas, with high temporal and range resolution. The urban areas of Athens, Greece, exhibit high air pollution levels, especially those regarding suspended particulates, mainly linked with car traffic and industrial emissions. In this paper, we present the first mobile Greek LIDAR system, based on the LabVIEW code, now located at the Athens Technical University Campus, nearby the urban area of the city. The LIDAR dataset acquired, under various air pollution and meteorological conditions, gives specific indications of the diurnal variation of the backscattering coefficient and relative backscatter of the suspended particulates in the first 2500 - 3000 m ASL over the city of Athens. The LIDAR dataset acquired is analyzed in conjunction with meteorological data (temperature, humidity) and air pollution data (O3 CO, NOx), acquired at the same site, and conclusions are drawn.