ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE
Science and Validation Workshop
13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other observations
for the cal/val of EarthCARE
Franco Marenco1, Maria Kezoudi1, Alkistis Papetta1, Christos Keleshis1, Rodanthi Mamouri2, and Jean Sciare1
1The Cyprus Institute, Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus
2ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence and Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos, Cyprus

The Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre(CARE-C)• Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO)• Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory (USRL)• Environmental Predictions Department (EPD)• A combination of research, education, and innovation activities:
investing in excellence and transfer of technology and knowledge• Greenhouse gases, the water cycle, extreme weather,
atmospheric dust, air pollution, and their impacts• EMME-CARE project: scientific, technological and policy solutions forenvironmental challenges• Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region (EMME)ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO)
Air quality Instrumentation x2 for CAO Troodos and AMX

Calibrator and data logger for CAO CyIO3SO2 (trace)

PM1PM2.5
PM4PM10TSPNOY (trace)
NO2 (trace)

CO2, CH4, CO, H2O

COCalibrator
Zero Air
generator

DataLogger

Heated air
sampling system

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Instruments for UAVuse

O3

CO2 (novel)

CAO Remote Sensing• A network of ground-based instruments at three Cyprus
Atmospheric Observatory stations :sunphotometers, ceilometers, 1 lidar and 1 flux station.

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

The Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory(USRL)
DesignDesignMachining

Fabrication

Prototype with dummy materials Fabrication of special lightweight composite
materials

Assembly, Wiring, Programming

CNC Components Assembly
Machining

Fine Tuning, FlightWiring

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

FlyingCourtesy ofChristos Keleshis

1-year continuous UAV flight operation program with Vertical
distribution (0-3km) of Mass concentration▪ UAV-UCASS OPC: height-resolved coarse-mode mass concentrations▪ Mass concentration: different from ground and high altitude layers – high dustlevels at higher altitudes (above 2000 m ASL)

Dust events over Cyprus

Courtesy of Maria Kezoudi
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

UAV sensors for dust and other aerosols

Impactor 1Impactor 2
UCASS
1

UCASS
2

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

UAV-Balloon UCASS flight (26.07.2023)

Height (ASL)

Elevated layer was
also detected by lidar

Courtesy of Maria Kezoudi

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Collaboration with ERATOSTHENES (CARO)ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

CARE-C and CARO Observational Facilities

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ASKOS Campaign: (10–30 June 2022)

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ASKOS Campaign
ASKOS is the ground base component of Aeolus
Tropical campaign 2021 (June, July)ASKOS Objectives:-To evaluate the Aeolus L2A aerosol and cloud
product performance for dust/marine aerosols-To estimate the uncertainty in the Aeolus backscatter
caused by the undetected cross-polar signal returnfrom non spherical particles-To estimate the impact of particle orientation inAeolus products for mineral particles and ice crystals-To provide an unprecedented amount of quality
assured datasets for evaluating more Aeolus
applications (e.g. improvements in desert dust
modeling and sea salt emission estimations).
Courtesy of Eleni Marinou
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

High-altitude size distribution and mineralogyCase study: 24.06.2022

Courtesy of Maria Kezoudi
and Konrad Kandler

Collected in dust layer
3100-4800 m ASL
Dust Layers
Cloud-freePOPS

Presence ofparticles upto 40 μm
within dustlayers
UCASS

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), ItalyMass Concentration Profiles - UCASS

Courtesy of Maria Kezoudi,
Alkistis Papetta and TROPOSESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EarthCARE cal/val plans

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ATMO-ACCESS pilot “rehearsal” campaign• EVDC-compliant datafiles generated• Lidar data submission to EVDC started Sep 2023
• First UAV flights on 25 Oct and 3 Nov 2023;
data submission to EVDC as soon after landing(dusty conditions)

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ATMO-ACCESS pilot Cal/Val campaign• Main campaign: April – September 2024

• Attractive observations infrastructure inCyprus (CAO, USRL and CARO):
complementary observations for cal/val

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Contribution to AEROMOST (e-Profile)

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ACROSS campaign

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EarthCARE cal/val funding status• The ATMO-ACCESS pilot provides support to our cal/val activity until Autumn 2024
(provision of lidar and UAV datasets, coincident with EarthCARE overpasses)• It is our ambition to be able to continue EarthCARE cal/val beyond the ATMO-ACCESSpilot (CORAL, AEROMOST and ACROSS projects): funding-dependent

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Thanks for your attention!

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

TitleESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy