Using Remote Sensing Data for Integrating different Renewable Energy Sources at Coastal Site in South Italy

AbstractItalian coastal sites have the advantage of favorable climatic conditions to use mixed renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. Harbors are safe places to install wind turbines where wind conditions are almost offshore. Space-borne remote sensing can provide information to determine solar and wind energy production potential cheaper than usual observational activity to identify and assess suitable areas. Here, we present a case study for both energy resources assessment from satellite in harbors

One Year of Vertical Wind Profiles Measurements at a Mediterranean Coastal Site of South Italy

To exploit wind energy both onshore and offshore in coastal area the effect of the coastal discontinuity is important. The shape of the vertical wind profiles and the related c parameter of the Weibull distribution are impacted by the atmospheric internal boundary layers developing from the coast along the wind direction. Here, we present first results: one year of vertical wind speed and direction profiles, monitoring programme at a South Mediterranean coastal site with a wind Lidar ZephIr (ltd). Daily variation of wind speed and direction vertical profiles, vertical Weibull wind distribution c parameter and wind rose are here showed

Five Years of Dust Episodes at the Southern Italy GAW Regional Coastal Mediterranean Observatory: Multisensors and Modeling Analysis

The Mediterranean area is a climate-change hotspot because of the natural and anthropogenic pollution pressure. The presence of natural aerosols, such as dust, influences solar radiation and contributes to the detection, in storm episodes, of significant concentrations of PM10 in Southern Italy, where generally fresh and clean air is due to local circulation, and particulate matter concentrations are very low. We present the results of medium-term observations (2015–2019) at Lamezia Terme GAW (Global Atmospheric Watch) Regional Observatory, with the purpose of identifying the dust incursion events by studying the aerosol properties in the site. To achieve this goal, the experimental data, collected by several instruments, have been also correlated with the large-scale atmospheric patterns derived by the ERA5 reanalysis dataset, in order to study the meteorological conditions that strongly influence dust outbreaks and their spatio-temporal behavior. An intense dust-outbreak episode, which occurred on 23–27 April 2019, was chosen as a case study; a detailed analysis was carried out considering surface and column optical properties, chemical properties, large-scale pattern circulation, air-quality modeling/satellite products, and back-trajectory analysis, to confirm the capability of the modeled large-scale atmospheric fields to correctly simulate the conditions mainly related to the desert dust-outbreak events

Comparison of Hourly Solar Radiation from a Ground–Based Station, Remote Sensing and Weather Forecast Models at a Coastal Site of South Italy (Lamezia Terme)

AbstractThe solar radiation is a critical input parameter when working with solar energy and radiation dependent surface processes. In this study, we present preliminary results from an inter-comparison between hourly values from a pyranometer, MSG-SEVIRI sensor and two meso-scale models, WRF and RAMS, in clear and cloudy sky conditions. Cloudy sky condition is the most important because the attenuation of solar radiation in the atmosphere is strongly dependent on the cloud variability. Bias and RMSE errors are evaluated at a coastal site in the Mediterranean area. These statistics show the tendency of both models to overestimate short-wave radiation

EARLINET instrument intercomparison campaigns: Overview on strategy and results

This paper introduces the recent European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) quality-assurance efforts at instrument level. Within two dedicated campaigns and five single-site intercomparison activities, 21 EARLINET systems from 18 EARLINET stations were intercompared between 2009 and 2013. A comprehensive strategy for campaign setup and data evaluation has been established. Eleven systems from nine EARLINET stations participated in the EARLINET Lidar Intercomparison 2009 (EARLI09). In this campaign, three reference systems were qualified which served as traveling standards thereafter. EARLINET systems from nine other stations have been compared against these reference systems since 2009. We present and discuss comparisons at signal and at product level from all campaigns for more than 100 individual measurement channels at the wavelengths of 355, 387, 532, and 607 nm. It is shown that in most cases, a very good agreement of the compared systems with the respective reference is obtained. Mean signal deviations in predefined height ranges are typically below ±2 %. Particle backscatter and extinction coefficients agree within ±2  ×  10−4 km−1 sr−1 and ± 0.01 km−1, respectively, in most cases. For systems or channels that showed larger discrepancies, an in-depth analysis of deficiencies was performed and technical solutions and upgrades were proposed and realized. The intercomparisons have reinforced confidence in the EARLINET data quality and allowed us to draw conclusions on necessary system improvements for some instruments and to identify major challenges that need to be tackled in the future

EARLINET instrument intercomparison campaigns: overview on strategy and results

This paper introduces the recent European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) quality-assurance efforts at instrument level. Within two dedicated campaigns and five single-site intercomparison activities, 21 EARLINET systems from 18 EARLINET stations were intercompared between 2009 and 2013. A comprehensive strategy for campaign setup and data evaluation has been established. Eleven systems from nine EARLINET stations participated in the EARLINET Lidar Intercomparison 2009 (EARLI09). In this campaign, three reference systems were qualified which served as traveling standards thereafter. EARLINET systems from nine other stations have been compared against these reference systems since 2009. We present and discuss comparisons at signal and at product level from all campaigns for more than 100 individual measurement channels at the wavelengths of 355, 387, 532, and 607¿nm. It is shown that in most cases, a very good agreement of the compared systems with the respective reference is obtained. Mean signal deviations in predefined height ranges are typically below ±2¿%. Particle backscatter and extinction coefficients agree within ±2¿¿×¿¿10-4¿km-1¿sr-1 and ±¿0.01¿km-1, respectively, in most cases. For systems or channels that showed larger discrepancies, an in-depth analysis of deficiencies was performed and technical solutions and upgrades were proposed and realized. The intercomparisons have reinforced confidence in the EARLINET data quality and allowed us to draw conclusions on necessary system improvements for some instruments and to identify major challenges that need to be tackled in the future.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Study of the Vertical Structure of the Coastal Boundary Layer Integrating Surface Measurements and Ground-Based Remote Sensing

The understanding of the atmospheric processes in coastal areas requires the availability of quality datasets describing the vertical and horizontal spatial structure of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) on either side of the coastline. High-resolution Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models can provide this information and the main ingredients for good simulations are: an accurate description of the coastline and a correct subgrid process parametrization permitting coastline discontinuities to be caught. To provide an as comprehensive as possible dataset on Mediterranean coastal area, an intensive experimental campaign was realized at a near-shore Italian site, using optical and acoustic ground-based remote sensing and surface instruments, under different weather characteristic and stability conditions; the campaign is also fully simulated by a NWP model. Integrating information from instruments responding to different atmospheric properties allowed for an explanation of the development of various patterns in the vertical structure of the atmosphere. Wind LiDAR measurements provided information of the internal boundary layer from the value of maximum height reached by the wind profile; a height between 80 and 130 m is often detected as an interface between two different layers. The NWP model was able to simulate the vertical wind profiles and the eight of the ABL

Recent Advances of Air Pollution Studies in Italy

This special issue collects 18 original and review articles dealing with dierent recent advances inair pollution studies in Italy, from urban to rural environments, from model to experimental approaches...

Wave Climate and Trends for the Marine Experimental Station of Capo Tirone Based on a 70-Year-Long Hindcast Dataset

Nearshore marine systems provide multiple economic and ecological services to human communities. Several studies addressing the climate change stressors and the inappropriate use of the sea indicate a decline of coastal areas. An extensive monitoring of the most important marine sites and protected areas is crucial to design effective environmental-friendly measures to support the sustainable development of coastal regions. A 70-year-long wave climate analysis is presented to study the climatology of the area belonging to the Marine Experimental Station of Capo Tirone, Italy. The analysis is based on the global atmospheric reanalysis developed by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, validated through an observed buoy dataset recorded by the Italian Sea Wave Measurement Network. No significant long-term trends have been detected. The need to set up new monitoring stations has been pointed out by means of a hydrodynamic model developed at the regional scale, evaluating the effect of the local morphology on the nearshore wave climate and highlighting the importance of surveying the marine protected area of Capo Tirone located therein