Observation of Arabian and Saharan Dust in Cyprus with a New Generation of the Smart Raman Lidar Polly

Ronny Engelmann,Johannes Bühl,Eleni Marinou,Birgit Heese,Rodanthi-Elisavet Mamouri,Mihalis Vrekoussis,Holger Baars,Vassilis Amiridis,Albert Ansmann,Dietrich Althausen,B Gross,M Arend,F Moshary

doi:10.1051/epjconf/201611927003

Abstract

The atmospheric science community demands for autonomous and quality-assured vertically resolved measurements of aerosol and cloud properties. Aiming this goal, TROPOS developed the fully automated multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar Polly since over 10 years [1, 2]. In cooperation with different partner research institutes the system was improved continuously. Our latest lidar developments include aside the “3+2” measurements also a near-range receiver to measure aerosol extinction and backscatter down to 120 m above the lidar, a water-vapor channel, and measurements of the linear depolarization at two wavelengths.The latest system was built in cooperation with the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). Its first campaign however was performed at the Cyprus Institute of Nicosia from March to April 2015, aiming specifically at the observation of ice nuclei with in-situ and lidar remote sensing techniques in the framework of BACCHUS [3, 4].

Highlights

Lidar profiling of atmospheric aerosol and cloud layers have become important for climate research during the last decades
Aside from spaceborne observations (e.g. CALIPSO, ATLID, EARTHCare) continental networks of lidars such as EARLINET, MPLNET, AD-Net, LALINET, and CORALNET are a great tool for such observations
At TROPOS we developed nine of our automated lidars in the framework of the Polly (POrtabLe Lidar sYstem) idea

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Lidar profiling of atmospheric aerosol and cloud layers have become important for climate research during the last decades. With the technical and methodological developments of the recent years it is possible to observe aerosol layers in terms of an optical characterizations and to infer on many microphysical aerosol properties such as the type, the shape, the concentration, and even to separate aerosol mixtures in terms of smoke and dust concentration as well as fine and coarse mode fractions of dust [5, 6]. Such observations require fully automated and advanced lidar systems because manpower for the continuous operation is sparse.

THE LIDAR POLLY

THE CYPRUS SITE

FIRST RESULTS

OUTLOOK