Comparison of the relationships between lidar integrated backscattered light and accumulated depolarization ratios for linear and circular polarization for water droplets, fog oil, and dust

Recently, an empirical relationship between the layer integrated backscattered light and the layer accumulated depolarization ratio has been established for linear polarization for the case of water droplet clouds. This is a powerful relation, allowing calibration of space lidar and correction of the lidar signal for multiple scattering effects. The relationship is strongly based on Monte Carlo simulations with some experimental evidence. We support the empirical relationship with strong experimental data and then show experimentally and via second order scattering theoretical calculations that a modified relationship can be obtained for circular polarization. Also, we demonstrate that other empirical relationships exist between the layer accumulated linear and circular depolarization ratios and the layer integrated backscattered light for submicrometer particles and nonspherical particles.