Estimation of emission from Idaho biomass fires using compact eye-safe diode lidar

Measurement of smoke particle emission and plume dispersion from biomass fires using a traditional integrating nephelometers technique is not so convenient because of highly variable emission rates, dispersion and the varying elevations of the smoke plume above the terrain. Eye-safe compact diode laser can measure the value and spatial profile of the optical backscattering coefficient due to smoke particles along the laser beam at the different direction and from different moving platforms. The lidar backscattering return signal can be averaging not only in time but in space with desirable resolution from minimum step to maximum lidar range. By using both active and passive lidar operation mode the dynamic of the plume albedo and atmospheric optical depth inside the narrow cone and bandwidth would be estimated too.