Tropospheric aerosol layers after a cold front passage in January 2000 as observed at several stations of the German Lidar Network

Using the German Lidar Network, we analysed 2 years of lidar observations of aerosol layers. Here we report in particular on a cold front event in January 2000 with Rayleigh/Mie/Raman lidar measurements taken both in the boundary layer as well as in the free troposphere at four different sites. After the cold front passage, and while the air mass travelled from northern to southern Germany, the aerosol backscatter coefficient increased in the lower troposphere but not in the free troposphere. Behind the front, an aerosol layer was observed in the free troposphere at all stations. To characterize changes in the aerosol layer as it moved from northern to southern Germany, backscatter