Reflectance spectra of terrestrial surface materials at CO_2 laser wavelengths: effects on DIAL and geological remote sensing

Measurements of spectral reflectance of terrestrial surface materials at CO2 laser wavelengths are reported. Implications on measurement accuracy of long-path airborne differential absorption lidar for atmospheric gas concentration monitoring are discussed. It is also shown that reflectance spectra of most of the terrestrial surface materials are distinguishable enough to enable material identification by remote reflectance measurements at several selected laser wavelengths. This possibility introduces new prospects for active geological (and possibly agricultural) remote sensing.