System and method for multi-target fluid concentration detection and mapping

A system for obtaining a target fluid map of a survey area using a differential absorption LIDAR (DIAL) system that transmits a plurality of pulse bursts toward the survey area, each transmitted pulse burst including an off-line pulse and at least one on-line pulse, the system comprising:

• an input terminal for receiving a plurality of pulse bursts from the survey area, each pulse burst associated with a measurement point;
• a concentration path length (CPL) estimator configured to determine, for each measurement point, a CPL corresponding to a respective on-line pulse and determine a spatial location associated with the respective CPL;
• a quality factor error estimator configured to determine an error associated with the CPL for each of the measurement points;
• and
• a CPL map generator configured to arrange the CPL, for each measurement point, within the survey area to form the target fluid map.

A concentration path length (CPL) estimator for estimating at least one CPL from a pulse burst received from a differential absorption LIDAR (DIAL) system, the pulse burst including an off-line pulse and at least one on-line pulse corresponding to a measurement point of a survey area, the CPL estimator comprising:

• a pulse finder configured to detect the off-line pulse and the at least one on-line pulse of the pulse burst;
• a pulse energy system configured to determine an off-line pulse energy and at least one on-line pulse energy associated with the detected off-line pulse and the detected at least one on-line pulse;
• a reflectivity ratio corrector configured to correct a reflectivity ratio parameter for the received pulse burst;
• and
• a CPL processor configured to determine the at least one CPL using a ratio of the at least one on-line energy to the off-line energy, and the corrected reflectivity ratio parameter.