A LIDAR system includes a laser emitter configured to emit a laser pulse in a sample direction of a sample area of a scene. A sensor element of the LIDAR system is configured to sense a return pulse, which is a reflection from the sample area corresponding to the emitted laser pulse. The LIDAR system may compare a width of the emitted laser pulse to a width of the return pulse in the time-domain. The comparison of the width of the emitted pulse to the width of the return pulse may be used to determine an orientation or surface normal of the sample area relative to the sample direction. Such a comparison leads to a measurement of the change of pulse width, referred to as pulse broadening or pulse stretching, from the emitted pulse to the return pulse.