Atmospheric Remote Sensing (Cyprus University of Technology)

Research Infrastructure (RI) Name: Atmospheric Remote Sensing (Cyprus University of Technology)

Website: http://www.cyprusremotesensing.com/laboratory
Mission: The Atmospheric Physics and Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) is located in Limassol at the CUT (Cyprus University of Technology), a public University of great relevance in the field of scientific and technological research. The mission is to provide highly reliable information on the distribution of aerosols and clouds and on the processes that control their life-cycles, with the grand challenge to reduce uncertainties in future-climate predictions, increase knowledge on climate feedback mechanisms, evaluate air quality and related effects on health and ecosystems. The One of the main research activities of RSL CUT regard the study of the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface using remote sensing techniques, environmental and geophysical monitoring.
Objectives:

- Representative long-term, standardized and quality-controlled data for the detection and understanding of trends in the changing atmosphere, the constraining of model predictions of future climate and air quality and the supervision of mitigation measures;
- Dedicated high-resolved, high-precision and synergistic data for the investigation and understanding of atmospheric processes related to climate and climate feedback mechanisms, air chemistry and climate–chemistry interaction.

- Limassol high-power aerosol lidar provide quantitative measurements of aerosol extinction and backscattering profiles, and thus the extinction-to-backscatter or lidar ratio, throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere with high spatial and temporal resolution. Spectral and polarization information (extinction-related and backscatter-related Ångström exponents and particle linear depolarization ratio) is retrieved in order to classify aerosol types and to determine natural and anthropogenic contributions to the aerosol load. The Limassol lidar variables also include information on geometrical boundaries of aerosol layers and layer-mean optical properties.
- Automatic sun/sky photometers measure the columnar spectral aerosol optical depth and sky radiance, from which information on particle microphysical and radiative properties, e.g., particle size distribution, absorption, complex refractive index, spherical/non spherical fraction, phase matrix, is retrieved. The synergistic use of photometer and lidar observations, partly inherited from the AERONET inversion philosophy (Dubovik et al. 2000, 2011, 2014), aims at the retrieval of higher-level variables such as fine and coarse particle mass concentration and spectral extinction, backscatter and absorption profiles, all consistent with columnar aerosol optical and microphysical properties.

- High power three-wavelength Raman lidar with polarization discrimination capability and an automatic sun/sky and moon photometer (optionally also polarized) according to ACTRIS/AERONET standards
- Automatic sun/sky photometer according to ACTRIS/AERONET standards, operating continuously.

Research Category:	Earth and Environmental Sciences - Atmospheric Measurement Facilities - In Situ Earth Observatories
RI Main Priorities:	The range of measurements provided at the facility and the key point position of the station make it an ideal site for cloud/aerosol interaction field campaigns as well as for the vertical resolved separation of the different aerosol types. The laser techniques and the passive sensors are standard instruments and generally operate on a continuous basis and their data are available for scientific exchange. Long-term measurements for aerosols and clouds climatology are the main topics of the ground-based facility and are performed following the ACTRIS-EARLINET protocols. Application of the recently developed -within ACTRIS-ESFRI - techniques and methodologies relative to the separation different aerosol types to the Cyprus observation to provide very important knowledge to scientific committee for the Mediterranean region.
Hosting Legal Entity:	Name: Cyprus University of Technology Address: 30 Archbishop Street, 3036 Limassol, Cyprus Telephone Number: +35725002500 Website: https://www.cut.ac.cy Email address: administration@cut.ac.cy
Equipment of RI (and its Labs if applicable)	- High power three-wavelength Raman lidar with polarization discrimination capability and an automatic sun/sky and moon photometer (optionally also polarized) according to ACTRIS/AERONET standards - Automatic sun/sky photometer according to ACTRIS/AERONET standards, operating continuously.
RI Contact Person:	Name: Diofantos Hadjimitsis Title: Professor Address: Saripolou 2-8, Achilleos I Building, 1st Floor, 3036 Lemesos Telephone Number: +35725002548 Email Address: d.hadjimitsis@cut.ac.cy Name: Rodanthi-Elisavet Mamouri Title: Dr (Research Scientist) Address: Saripolou 2-8, Achilleos I Building, 1st Floor, 3036 Lemesos Telephone Number: +35725002247 Email Address: rodanthi.mamouri@cut.ac.cy
For more information regarding the RI (and its Labs if applicable) please click the attachment below.