A differential scattering absorption lidar was constructed utilizing a TEA CO2 laser. Some atmospheric parameters were determined. Measurements were also made with an ammonia cell. The results made it possible to estimate the operating characteristics of the lidar: the operating range was 10 km for topographic reflection and the maximum sensitivity (for gases with absorption coefficients of 10–30 atm−1·cm−1 in the differential scattering absorption regime) was 0.5 parts per million with a spatial resolution of 100 m. Fundamental difficulties were noted in using the differential scattering absorption method to probe atmospheric pollutants.