Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX): Towards a holistic understanding of the feedbacks and interactions in the land-Atmosphere-ocean-society continuum in the northern Eurasian region

The northern Eurasian regions and Arctic Ocean will very likely undergo substantial changes during the next decades. The Arctic-boreal natural environments play a crucial role in the global climate via albedo change, carbon sources and sinks as well as atmospheric aerosol production from biogenic volatile organic compounds. Furthermore, it is expected that global trade activities, demographic movement, and use of natural resources will be increasing in the Arctic regions. There is a need for a novel research approach, which not only identifies and tackles the relevant multi-disciplinary research questions, but also is able to make a holistic system analysis of the expected feedbacks. In this paper, we introduce the research agenda of the Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX), a multi-scale, multi-disciplinary and international program started in 2012 (https://www.atm.helsinki.fi/peex/). PEEX sets a research approach by which large-scale research topics are investigated from a system perspective and which aims to fill the key gaps in our understanding of the feedbacks and interactions between the land-Atmosphere-Aquatic-society continuum in the northern Eurasian region. We introduce here the state of the art for the key topics in the PEEX research agenda and present the future prospects of the research, which we see relevant in this context

Profiling of Saharan dust and biomass-burning smoke with multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar at Cape Verde

Published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported LicenseExtensive lidar measurements of Saharan dust and biomass-burning smoke were performed with one airborne and three ground-based instruments in the framework of the second part of the SAharan Mineral dUst experiMent (SAMUM-2a) during January and February of 2008 at Cape Verde. Further lidar observations with one system only were conducted during May and June of 2008 (SAMUM-2b). The active measurements were supported by Sun photometer observations. During winter, layers of mineral dust from the Sahara and biomass-burning smoke from southern West Africa pass Cape Verde on their way to South America while pure dust layers cross the Atlantic on their way to the Caribbean during summer. The mean 500-nm aerosol optical thickness (AOT) observed during SAMUM-2a was 0.35 +/- 0.18. SAMUM-2a observations showed transport of pure dust within the lowermost 1.5 km of the atmospheric column. In the height range from 1.5 to 5.0 km, mixed dust/smoke layers with mean lidar ratios of 67 +/- 14 sr at 355 and 532 nm, respectively, prevailed. Within these layers, wavelength-independent linear particle depolarization ratios of 0.12-0.18 at 355, 532, and 710 nm indicate a large contribution (30-70%) of mineral dust to the measured optical properties. Angstrom exponents for backscatter and extinction of around 0.7 support this finding. Mean extinction coefficients in the height range between 2 and 4 km were 66 +/- 6 Mm(-1) at 355 nm and 48 +/- 5 Mm(-1) at 532 nm. Comparisons with airborne high-spectral-resolution lidar observations show good agreement within the elevated layers. 3-5 km deep dust layers where observed during SAMUM-2b. These layers showed optical properties similar to the ones of SAMUM-1 in Morocco with a mean 500-nm AOT of 0.4 +/- 0.2. Dust extinction coefficients were about 80 +/- 6 Mm(-1) at 355 and 532 nm. Dust lidar ratios were 53 +/- 10 sr at 355 and 532 nm, respectively. Dust depolarization ratios showed an increase with wavelength from 0.31 +/- 0.10 at 532 nm to 0.37 +/- 0.07 at 710 nm.Peer reviewe

Relative-humidity profiling in the troposphere with a Raman lidar

We describe a Raman-lidar-based approach to acquiring profiles of the relative humidity of air. For this purpose we combined in one instrument the Raman-lidar techniques that are used for the profiling of water vapor and temperature. This approach enabled us to acquire, for the first time to our knowledge, vertical profiles of relative humidity through the entire troposphere exclusively from Raman-lidar data. The methods applied to determining the water-vapor mixing ratio, temperature, and relative humidity and the corresponding uncertainties caused by systematic errors and signal noise are presented. The lidar-derived profiles are compared with profiles measured with radiosondes. Radiosonde observations are also used to calibrate the Raman lidar. Close agreement of the profiles of relative humidity measured with lidar and those measured with radiosonde demonstrates the potential of this novel approach. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.Peer reviewe

Global analysis of continental boundary layer new particle formation based on long-term measurements

International audienc

Overview: Integrative and Comprehensive Understanding on Polar Environments (iCUPE) — concept and initial results

The role of polar regions is increasing in terms of megatrends such as globalization, new transport routes, demography, and the use of natural resources with consequent effects on regional and transported pollutant concentrations. We set up the ERA-PLANET Strand 4 project “iCUPE – integrative and Comprehensive Understanding on Polar Environments” to provide novel insights and observational data on global grand challenges with an Arctic focus. We utilize an integrated approach combining in situ observations, satellite remote sensing Earth observations (EOs), and multi-scale modeling to synthesize data from comprehensive long-term measurements, intensive campaigns, and satellites to deliver data products, metrics, and indicators to stakeholders concerning the environmental status, availability, and extraction of natural resources in the polar areas. The iCUPE work consists of thematic state-of-the-art research and the provision of novel data in atmospheric pollution, local sources and transboundary transport, the characterization of arctic surfaces and their changes, an assessment of the concentrations and impacts of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants and their cycling, the quantification of emissions from natural resource extraction, and the validation and optimization of satellite Earth observation (EO) data streams. In this paper we introduce the iCUPE project and summarize initial results arising out of the integration of comprehensive in situ observations, satellite remote sensing, and multi-scale modeling in the Arctic context

Ten years of multiwavelength Raman lidar observations of free-tropospheric aerosol layers over central Europe : Geometrical properties and annual cycle

We present geometrical properties and seasonal variations of appearance of aerosol particle pollution in the free troposphere over the central European lidar site at Leipzig, Germany. The data set has been acquired with Raman lidar in the past 10 years in the framework of the German Lidar Network (1997-2000) and since 2000 in the framework of the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET). In summary we analyzed 1028 measurements. Geometrical depth of the pollution layers was 5 km were found in 10% of all cases. Traces of particle pollution were detected up to the height of the tropopause. Forest-fire burning in North America causes intrusion of particles into the stratosphere. Seven hundred seventeen of all observations were carried out on the basis of a regular measurement schedule which allows us to establish a statistic on the frequency of particle transport in the free troposphere. In 43% of the regular measurements we observed pollution above the continental boundary layer. The lofted particle layers largely result from intercontinental long-range transport. We use backward trajectory analysis to identify the main source regions of the lofted pollution layers. In 19% of all regular measurements, free-tropospheric pollution was advected from North America. Forest-fire smoke from Canada and anthropogenic pollution from urban areas of the United States of America and Canada were the sources of the particle layers. We find a strong seasonal dependence of occurrence of these layers with a peak in June-August of each year. In a few cases we observed forest-fire smoke advected from Siberia and east Asia with winds from westerly directions. Pollution advected from areas north of 70 degrees N presents another transport channel. That pollution consists of Arctic haze or mixtures of haze with anthropogenic pollution. The main occurrence of such particle layers is around springtime of each year. Import of mineral dust from the Sahara represents another transport path. Most of such cases are observed during late springtime and summertime. Free-tropospheric pollution advected from east and southeast Europe and Russia presents one transport channel from within the Euro-Asian continent.Peer reviewe

Overview: Integrative and Comprehensive Understanding on Polar Environments (iCUPE)-concept and initial results

The role of polar regions is increasing in terms of megatrends such as globalization, new transport routes, demography, and the use of natural resources with consequent effects on regional and transported pollutant concentrations. We set up the ERA-PLANET Strand 4 project "iCUPE-integrative and Comprehensive Understanding on Polar Environments"to provide novel insights and observational data on global grand challenges with an Arctic focus. We utilize an integrated approach combining in situ observations, satellite remote sensing Earth observations (EOs), and multi-scale modeling to synthesize data from comprehensive long-term measurements, intensive campaigns, and satellites to deliver data products, metrics, and indicators to stakeholders concerning the environmental status, availability, and extraction of natural resources in the polar areas. The iCUPE work consists of thematic state-of-the-art research and the provision of novel data in atmospheric pollution, local sources and transboundary transport, the characterization of arctic surfaces and their changes, an assessment of the concentrations and impacts of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants and their cycling, the quantification of emissions from natural resource extraction, and the validation and optimization of satellite Earth observation (EO) data streams. In this paper we introduce the iCUPE project and summarize initial results arising out of the integration of comprehensive in situ observations, satellite remote sensing, and multi-scale modeling in the Arctic context. © 2020 Author(s)