ATLID directly measures the backscatter signal, a composite of Rayleigh and Mie scattering, as an altitude profile in the atmosphere depending on the line-of-sight distance. The backscatter signal can be separated into Rayleigh and Mie scattering information by a high spectral filter, and the Mie scattering can be further separated into horizontally and vertically polarized waves. Level 1 processing takes care of these parts, resulting in a vertical profile of backscatter intensity data in three channels: Rayleigh, Mie (horizontal polarization), and Mie (vertical polarization^*1).
Level 2 processing is then used to detect aerosols and clouds, classify cloud particle phases and shapes and aerosol types, and derive dissipation coefficients, backscatter coefficients, lidar ratios, polarization resolution, and atmospheric boundary layer height for aerosols and clouds.

ATLID observation data are provided as “L1b” (created by ESA) for received signal intensity and as “L2a” products for physical quantities such as the above. In the L2a product, the detection of aerosols and clouds is called the feature mask, and the classification of cloud particle phase, shape, and aerosol type is called the target mask.
When combined with ATLID and CPR observations, the CPR-ATLID synergistic L2b product provides data on cloud and aerosol distribution and physical properties complemented by radar and lidar, and the CPR-ATLID-MSI synergistic L2b product includes MSI observations. Others are also provided.