EN ESTE TRABAJO SE DESCRIBE EL DESARROLLO DE UN MÉTODO QUE SIRVE PARA INTERPRETAR LAS SEÑALES DE RETRODISPERSIÓN ADQUIRIDAS POR UN SISTEMA SIMILAR AL RADAR CONOCIDO COMO LIDAR. EL MÉTODO SE BASA EN LA DISPERSIÓN ELÁSTICA DE RADIACIÓN LÁSER, PRODUCIDA POR GASES Y PARTÍCULAS SUSPENDIDAS EN LA ATMÓSFERA (EFECTO GLOBAL). PRESENTAMOS UN DIAGRAMA DE ESPACIO-TIEMPO QUE AYUDA A EVALUAR LOS ARGUMENTOS DE LA ECUACIÓN QUE PERMITE CALCULAR LA SEÑAL LIDAR EN TÉRMINOS DEL COEFICIENTE DE RETRODISPERSIÓN. EXPLICAMOS TAMBIÉN, EL PROCEDIMIENTO QUE PERMITE DETECTAR LOS GRADIENTES DE ESE COEFICIENTE A LO LARGO DE LA TRAYECTORIA ÓPTICA LÁSER. SE MUESTRAN ALGUNOS RESULTADOS DE LA APLICACIÓN DEL MÉTODO EN SITIOS VECINOS A LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO.AbstractIN THIS WORK A METHOD FOR INTERPRETING BACKSCATTERING SIGNALS ACQUIRED BY A LIDAR IS DESCRIBED. THE METHOD IS BASED ON THE ELASTIC SCATTERING OF LASER RADIATION DUE TO GASES AND PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN THE ATMOSPHERE (BULK EFFECTS). WE PROPOSE A SPACE-TIME DIAGRAM WHICH HELPS TO EVALUATE THE ARGUMENTS OF THE EQUATION THAT SERVES TO CALCULATE THE LIDAR SIGNAL IN TERMS OF THE BACKSCATTERING COEFFICIENT. WE DESCRIBE HOW THE SYSTEM DETECTS GRADIENTS ON THIS COEFFICIENT, ALONG THE LASER OPTICAL PATH. TO ILLUSTRATE THE METHOD, WE PRESENT SOME TYPICAL LIDAR RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF MEXICO CITY.IN THIS WORK A METHOD FOR INTERPRETING BACKSCATTERING SIGNALS ACQUIRED BY A LIDAR IS DESCRIBED. THE METHOD IS BASED ON THE ELASTIC SCATTERING OF LASER RADIATION DUE TO GASES AND PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN THE ATMOSPHERE (BULK EFFECTS). WE PROPOSE A SPACE-TIME DIAGRAM WHICH HELPS TO EVALUATE THE ARGUMENTS OF THE EQUATION THAT SERVES TO CALCULATE THE LIDAR SIGNAL IN TERMS OF THE BACKSCATTERING COEFFICIENT. WE DESCRIBE HOW THE SYSTEM DETECTS GRADIENTS ON THIS COEFFICIENT, ALONG THE LASER OPTICAL PATH. TO ILLUSTRATE THE METHOD, WE PRESENT SOME TYPICAL LIDAR RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF MEXICO CITY.