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3. Existing Instrument Networks and Individual Sites

 

The following instrument networks and individual sites have been identified by the CALIPSO validation implementation team as being suitable for participating in validation activities and have been contacted for, or expressed interest in, participating in the quid pro quo validation program. Each network has a long history of measurements and a measurement and calibration protocol. For each network, a brief description of the network is given followed by a list of pertinent measurements and CALIPSO level II parameters that they validate. Those parameters with an (*) require assumptions to be calculated that may reduce their suitability for validation.

 

 

3.1 Aeronet

http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/

 

Aeronet is a federation of ground-based remote sensing aerosol networks, largely sunphotometers, around the world. Aerosol optical thickness at 1020, 870, 670, 500, 440, 380, and 240 nm are derived at most places. Sky radiance measurements along the solar alumcantar (i.e. at constant elevation angle with varied azimuth angles) and the solar principal plane (i.e. at constant azimuth angle with varied scattering angles) are made at 440, 670, 870, and 1020 nm to retrieve size distribution and phase function. Aerosol optical thickness is derived every 15 minutes or 0.25 air masses; whichever is more frequent, from an air mass of 7 in the morning to an air mass of 7 in the evening. Each measurement consists of a triplet of measurements at each wavelength that are analyzed for cloud screening and averaged. Sky radiance measurements are taken 6 times a day along the solar alumcantar and 9 times a day along the solar principal plane. Sun photometers are calibrated by the Langley method every 2-3 months, which is then transferred to field sunphotometers pre- and post-deployment to an accuracy of 1-2% for aerosol optical thickness, and every 9-12 months to get an accuracy of 5% for sky radiance.

 

The following measurements from the Aeronet sites listed in Section 7.1 would be suitable for CALIPSO validation (validated parameters in parentheses):

 

Sunphotometer (ta (532 nm), ta(1064 nm))

 

 

 

3.2 Asian Dust NETwork (AD-Net)

http://www-lidar.nies.go.jp/AsiaNet/

 

The AD-Net is an international virtual community, which was formed in February 2001. It was setup to provide rapid communication via the Internet on Asian dust events. The network observation of Asian dust was originally started in 1997 mainly with lidar groups in Japan. Since 1998, exchange of Asian dust information with lidar and other surface observations expanded to the East Asia countries of China and Korea. The AD-Net primary observation campaign take place every year in northern springtime from March 1 to May 31. Many of the lidars in the network belong to research programs on the atmospheric radiation and/or regional air-pollution, and the lidars are operated continuously throughout year.

 

Table II presents a list of instruments, the resolution in time and space of available lidar, and the CALIPSO Level II parameters validated for each site in the network.

 

 

Table II: List of instruments, vertical range and resolution, time resolution, and parameters validated for each station within the AD-Net.

   

Station

Instrument

Lidar range

(resolution)

Lidar time resolution

Validated parameter

Amami

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar.

0.1-18 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Beijing

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar.

0.1-15 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Chung-Li

532 nm, 1064 m w/polarization lidar

1- 30 km (24 m)

 

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Fukue

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar.

0.1-15 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Fukuyama

532 nm w/polarization lidar.

0-15 km

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Hefei

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar.

0-18 km (30 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Hohhot

532 nm w/polarization lidar

0.1-15 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Gwangju

532nm w/polarization, 355,532,1064 nm, 387 nm Raman lidars

0.5-30 km (7.5 m)

10 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm), ta(532)*, sa(532)*,ta(1064)*, sa(1064)*

Miyako-jima

532 w/polarization, 1064 nm lidars

0.1-18 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Nagasaki

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar

0.1-18 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Nagoya

355, 532 w/polarization, 1064 nm, and Raman lidar

troposphere and stratosphere (30 m)

5 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Jeju

Micro-pulse Lidar

 

 

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness

Okayama

532 nm w/polarization lidar

0.1-15 km

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Sapporo

532 nm

w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar

0.1-18 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Seoul

Micro-pulse Lidar

 

 

 

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness

Sri Samrong

532 nm

w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar

0.1-18 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Suwon

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar

0.1-18 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Tokyo

355nm, 532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm, 387, 408, 607 nm Raman lidar

sun photometer

0.1-15 km (7.5 m)

5-10 min.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, ta(532)*, sa(532)*, ta(1064)*, sa(1064)*, Sa (532)*, Sa (1064)*, Sc(532)*, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Toyama

532 nm

w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar

0.1-18 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Tsukuba

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm lidar, 523 nm HSRL

0.1-15 km (6 m)

15 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness, ta(532), sa(532), ta(1064)*, sa(1064)*, Sa (532), Sa (1064)*, Sc(532), b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

 

 

3.3 Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM)

http://www.arm.gov/

 

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is a multi-laboratory, interagency program that was created in 1989 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The ARM Program is part of DOE's effort to resolve scientific uncertainties about global climate change with a specific focus on improving the performance of general circulation models (GCMs) used for climate research and prediction. These improved models will help scientists better understand the influences of human activities on the earth's climate. In pursuit of its goal, the ARM Program establishes and operates field research sites, called Cloud and Radiation Testbeds (CARTs), in several climatically significant locations. Scientists collect and analyze data obtained over extended periods of time from large arrays of instruments to study the effects and interactions of sunlight, radiant energy, and clouds on temperatures, weather, and climate. Sites include instruments to measure atmospheric profiles of aerosols and cloud optical properties, surface eddy flux, and surface meteorology. The instruments available for CALIPSO validation are discussed below and in Table III.

 

The following measurements from the ARM sites would be suitable for CALIPSO validation and are summarized in Table III (validated parameters in parentheses):

 

 

Southern Great Plains (SGP) Central Facility

Sunphotometer measurements for 1020 and 499 nm (ta(532nm), ta(1064nm) and sa(532)*, Sa(532)* from lidar measurements

Multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer for 500 nm (ta(532nm))

Raman Lidar (runs day/night with 39 m range resolution) with 355 nm depolarization channel and a 387 nm Raman channel (b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)*, aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness)

Ceilometer measurements at 905 nm (aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness)

Micro-pulse lidar at 523 nm  (aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness)

mm-Wavelength cloud radar (cloud height/thickness)*

 

The following instruments are also present but do not directly validate any CALIPSO parameters: condensation nuclei counter, optical particle counter (31 channels between 0.1-10 mm and one greater than 10 mm), ozone monitor, microwave radiometer (31.4 GHz), atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (3-20 mm or 500-3300 cm-1, resolution 1 cm-1), radiosondes, 50 and 915 MHz Radar wind profiler/RASS, camera centered on zenith, whole sky imager (450 and 650 nm), narrow field of view sensor (869 nm, centered on zenith), absolute solar transmittance interferometer (1-5 mm or 2000-10000 cm-1, resolution 2 cm-1, pyranometer, pyrgeometer, pyrheliometer, uv-b radiometer, solar radiance transmission interferometer (620-1350, 1500-2050, 2020-2550, 2420-3080, 3010-3830, 4020-4300 cm-1, 3 times a day), shortwave spectrometer, uv spectroradiometer, surface meteorological observing system (1 minute wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity, pressure, rain amount), temperature and humidity at 25 and 60 m, and a chilled mirror.

 

 

 

Southern Great Plains (SGP) Extended Facilities (sites listed in Section 7.1)

Multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer for 500 nm (ta(532nm))

 

Also, a surface meteorological observing system (1 minute wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity, pressure, rain amount) is present.

 

 

Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) (Manus island, Nauru island, and Darwin)

Ceilometer at 905 nm (aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness)

Micropulse lidar at 523 nm  (aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness)

mm-Wavelength cloud radar (cloud height/thickness)*

Sunphotometer for 1020 and 499 nm (ta(532nm), ta(1064nm),  and sa(532)*, Sa(532)* with the lidar)

Multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer for 500 nm (ta(532nm))

 

The following instruments are also present but do not directly validate any CALIPSO parameters: microwave radiometer (31.4 GHz), atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (3-20 mm or 500-3300 cm-1, resolution 1 cm-1), radiosondes, 915 MHz Radar wind profiler/RASS, whole sky imager (450 and 650 nm), absolute solar transmittance interferometer (1-5 mm or 2000-10000 cm-1, resolution 2 cm-1), pyranometer, pyrgeometer, pyrheliometer, uv-b radiometer, solar radiance transmission interferometer (620-1350, 1500-2050, 2020-2550, 2420-3080, 3010-3830, 4020-4300 cm-1, 3 times a day), surface meteorological observing system (1 minute wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity, pressure, rain rate).

 

 

North Slope of Alaska (Barrow)

High spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) (100 m to 37.5 km with day/night operation) 532

nm w/depolarization and 1064 nm (aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532), sa(532), ta(1064), sa(1064)*, Sa (532), Sa (1064)*, tc(532), sc(532), Sc (532), b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)⊥)

Ceilometer at 905 nm (aerosol height/thickness, cloud height thickness)

Micropulse lidar at 523 nm (aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness)

mm-Wavelength cloud radar (cloud height/thickness) *

Sunphotometer for 1020 and 499 nm (ta(532nm), ta(1064nm), and sa(532)*, Sa(532)* with the lidar)

Multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer for 500 nm ((ta(532nm))

 

The following instruments are also present but do not directly validate any CALIPSO parameters: microwave radiometer (31.4 GHz), atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (3-20 mm or 500-3300 cm-1, resolution 1 cm-1), radiosondes, 915 MHz Radar wind profiler/RASS, whole sky imager (450 and 650 nm), absolute solar transmittance interferometer (1-5 mm or 2000-10000 cm-1, resolution 2 cm-1), pyranometer, pyrgeometer, pyrheliometer, uv-b radiometer, solar radiance transmission interferometer (620-1350, 1500-2050, 2020-2550, 2420-3080, 3010-3830, 4020-4300 cm-1, 3 times a day), wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity at 2, 10, 20, and 40 m and pressure, visibility, and precipitation at the ground.

 

 

North Slope of Alaska (Atqasuk)

Multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer for 500 nm ((ta(532nm))

 

 

 

Table III: Summary of instruments describe above at the various ARM sites.

 

 

Southern Great Plains Central Facility

Southern Great Plains Extended Facilities

Tropical Western Pacific

North Slope of Alaska (Barrow)

North Slope of Alaska (Atqasuk)

Sun Photometer

1020 and 499 nm

 

1020 and 499 nm

1020 and 499 nm

 

MFRSR

500 nm

500 nm

500 nm

500 nm

500 nm

Raman Lidar

355 nm with polarization and 387 nm, both with 39 m vertical resolution

 

 

 

 

Ceilometer

905 nm

 

905 nm

905 nm

 

Micro-pulse Lidar

523 nm

 

523 nm

523 nm

 

HSRL

 

 

 

532 nm with polarization, 1064 nm, both with 100 m vertical resolution and range to 37.5 km

 

Mm wavelength cloud radar

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Other instruments not directly related to validation

Yes (see text)

Yes (see text)

Yes (see text)

Yes (see text)

No

 

 

3.4 Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN)

http://bsrn.ethz.ch/

 

BSRN is a project of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) aimed at detecting important changes in the earth's radiation field, which may cause climate changes. The objective of the BSRN is to provide, using a high sampling rate, observations of the best possible quality, for short and longwave surface radiation fluxes. These readings are taken from a small number of selected stations, in contrasting climatic zones, together with collocated surface and upper air meteorological data and other supporting observations.

 

The following measurements from the BSRN sites listed in Section 7.1 would be suitable for CALIPSO validation (validated parameters in parentheses):

 

Sunphotometer (ta (532 nm), ta(1064 nm))

 

Also all stations measure global, direct, and diffuse broadband solar radiation while most stations measure downward longwave, temperature, relative humidity, and pressure. Payerne, Von Neumayer, and Boulder measure upward shortwave and longwave irradiance and have radiosondes. Toravere and Tateno measure upward shortwave and longwave irradiance.

 

 

3.5 Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL)

http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/aerosol/

 

The CMDL of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts research related to the atmospheric constituents that are capable of forcing change in the climate of the earth or may deplete the ozone layer. Aerosol measurements began at the CMDL baseline observatories in the mid-1970s as part of the Geophysical Monitoring for Climate Change. The goal of this regional-scale monitoring program is to characterize means, variability, and trends of climate-forcing properties of different types of aerosols, and to understand the factors that control these properties.

 

The following measurements from the CMDL sites listed in Section 7.1 would be suitable for CALIPSO validation (validated parameters in parentheses):

 

Sunphotometer (ta (532 nm), ta(1064 nm))

 

The site at Kosan has a 4-channel sun photometer, 3 spectral pyranometers, 2 pyrheliometers, an MFRSR, and instruments for measuring surface pressure, temperature, and humidity. Also at Kosan, chemical ion analysis and total gravimetric mass is analyzed once a week on particles collected on the absorption photometer filters.

 

 

3.6 EARLINET

http://lidarb.dkrz.de/earlinet/index.html

 

EARLINET’s objective is to establish a quantitative comprehensive statistical database of the horizontal, vertical, and temporal distribution of aerosols on a continental scale. The goal is to provide aerosol data with unbiased sampling, for important selected processes, and air-mass history, together with comprehensive analyses of these data. The objectives will be reached by implementing a network of 21 stations distributed over most of Europe, using advanced quantitative laser remote sensing to directly measure the vertical distribution of aerosols, supported by a suite of more conventional observations. Special care will be taken to assure data quality, including intercomparisons at instrument and evaluation levels.

 

Table IV presents a list of instruments, the resolution in time and space of any available lidar, and the CALIPSO Level II parameters validated for each site in the network.

 

 

Table IV: List of instruments, vertical range and resolution, time resolution, and parameters validated for each station within the EARLINET.

 

Station

Instrument

Lidar range

(resolution)

Lidar time resolution

Validated parameter

Aberystwyth

387 nm Raman lidar, wind profiler

0.5-8 km (30 m)

5.5 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532)*, sa(532)*, ta(1064)*, sa(1064)*, tc(532)*, sc(532)*

Athens

532 nm lidar, meteorological data (P,T,U)

0.5-5 km (7.5-15 m)

6 mins.

aerosol height/thickness,

cloud height/thickness

Barcelona

1064 nm lidar, aerosol spectrometer, pyranometer

0.25-10 km (7.5 m)

1 min.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness

Cabauw

355 nm and 532 nm Raman lidar w/depol and 1064 nm backscatter lidar (other instrumentation similar to ARM SGP site

1-15 km

30 min.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532), sa(532), ta(1064)*, sa(1064)*, Sa (532), Sa (1064)*, tc(532), sc(532), Sc (532), b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Garmisch

532 nm, 1064 nm lidar, visibility meter, pyranometer

0.2-10 km (15 m)

0.5 min.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness

Hamburg

387 nm Raman lidar, and AERONET sunphotometer, ceilometer

0.3-9 km (15 m)

10 s

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532), sa(532)*, ta(1064), sa(1064)*

 

Jungfraujoch

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm, 387 Raman lidars, sunphotometer

4-11 km (7.5 m)

100 s

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532), sa(532)*, ta(1064), sa(1064)*, Sa (532)*, Sa (1064)*, tc(532)*, sc(532)*, Sc(532)*, b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

Kuhlungsborn, Germany

532, 1064 nm, and 386, 607.4 nm Raman lidars, and 529.1, 530.2, 532.1 nm detection, radiosondes, ozone lidar, 2 dye lasers, 1 alexandrite laser

1-12 km, 10-35 km (50 m)

8, 33, 133 s

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532), sa(532), ta(1064)*, sa(1064)*, Sa (532), Sa (1064)*, tc(532), sc(532), Sc (532)

L'Aquila, Italy

382 nm Raman lidar, SODAR, radiosonde

1-12 km (300 m)

5 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532)*, sa(532)*, ta(1064)*, sa(1064)*

Leece, Italy

382 nm Raman lidar, sunphotometer

0.4 - 7 km (1.5 m)

3 mins.

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532), ta(1064)

Leipzig

532 nm w/polarization, 1064 nm, and 387, 408, 529, 530.2, 533.7, 535, 607 nm Raman lidar, sun photometer, radiosonde

0.5 km - trop. for extinction and 0.1 - trop. for backscatter (60 m)

30 s

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness, ta(532), sa(532), ta(1064), sa(1064)*, Sa (532), Sa (1064)*, tc(532), sc(532), Sc (532), b'(R, 532nm)/b'(R, 532nm)

 

Lisbon

532 nm, 1064 nm lidar

0.3-5 km (1.5 m)

1 s

aerosol height/thickness, cloud height/thickness

Linkoping

355 nm lidar, pyranometer

0.1-10 km (7.5 m)

0.1-300s, usu. 300 s