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

EVID39: CORAL - Cyprus Observations for EarthCARE vALidation
Rodanthi-Elisavet Mamouri, Dragos Ene, Kostas Fragkos, Argyro Nisantzi, Georgia Charalambous, Maria Poutli
ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence, Lemesos, Cyprus
Franco Marenco, Maria Kezoudi, Alkistis Papetta
Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus

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

CORAL consortium
ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence:• Limassol, coastal area
• Cyprus Atmospheric Remote Sensing
Observatory (CARO) – planned ACTRIS aerosoland cloud RS observational Platforms• Solar Radiation observations

CARE-C of the Cyprus Institute• Nicosia, urban and inland areas• Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO) –ACTRIS aerosol in situ observational platform• Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory(USRL) – ACTRIS exploratory platform

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

EVID39: CORAL

Scope of CORAL project and main objectives• to perform thorough cal/val investigations on EarthCARE cloud and aerosol products overCyprus, a region well-known for its complex atmospheric environment• To enhance solar radiation observations• validation will be performed in coastal and inland and urban stations with• Cyprus Atmospheric Remote Sensing Observatory (CARO) ground-based
Raman/polarization lidar and radar instruments in Limassol, providing unbiased profilesof particle extinction, optical depth, backscatter, extinction-to-backscatter ratio and linear
and circular depolarization ratios for clouds and aerosol;• Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO) ceilometers and sunphotometers at threestations (Nicosia, Agia Marina Xyliatou, and Troodos) and polarization lidar in Nicosia.
• Drones of the Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory (USRL), providing high-altitude insitu aerosol observations with optical particle counters, impactors and backscattersonde
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EVID39

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

EVID39: CORALERAOSTHENES Centre of Excellence
Limassol, Cyprus
Advance 24/7 aerosol and cloud remote sensing
observations – National Facility

Mediterranean

PollyXT
Lidar

Doppler
Lidar

Disdrometer

Cloud
Radar

L E M E S O S

Courtesy: TROPOS TeamERATOSTHENES - Cyprus Atmospheric RS Observatory

Funding:
These activities are supported

Limassol, Cyprus (34.7°N, 33°E)• less than 2 km from the coastline; conditions representative of typical Mediterranean and Middle East region• AEROSOL REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONAL PLATFORM • CLOUD REMOTE SENSING OBSERVATIONAL PLATFORM
o microwave radiometer – ready to be installed;• AERONET Sunphotometer – operates since 2010o ceilometer, disdrometer – ready to be installed;• PollyXT - operates since 2020o 35 GHz MiRA cloud radar – to be installed January 2024;• StreamLine Doppler Lidar - Operates since 2023
o Full operation of the Cloud Platform expected Spring 2024.

Operates since October 2020

Cyprus Atmospheric Remote Sensing Observatory
Planned for 2024
CRS NF Planned for early 2024

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

ERATOSTHENES Cyprus Solar Network
Network composed of 5 stations:o central station in Limassol (L);o Polis Chrysochous (P);o Kyperounta (K);o Athalassa (A) – location with radisounding;o Xylofagou (X).
Instrument type
Pyranometer (x6)ModelMS-80 EKO EKO
Instruments Co., Ltd.

Pyrheliometer

MS-57 EKO Instruments Co.,Ltd.
MS-21 EKO Instruments Co.,Ltd.

Pyrgeometer

UV Radiometer (x5)Spectrophotometer
UV/VIS.
Sky Camera

SUV-E UVE Radiometer Kipp& Zonen B.V
DMc150 Double
Monochromator Bentham
Instruments Ltd
ASI-16 All Sky Imager

Measured quantity
Downwelling total
shortwave irradiance(W/m2)
Direct shortwave
irradiance (W/m2)
Downwelling longwave
irradiance (W/m2)

Location
Limassol (x2, one for global and one fordiffuse), other stations (x1)Erythemal UV
irradiance (W/m2)
Global spectral (290–500 nm) irradiance(W/nm·m2)
Cloud cover, Cloudbase height

All stations (x1)

Limassol
Limassol

LimassolLimassol

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

EVID39: CORALCARE-C: Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO)• devoted to long-term monitoring• 3 stations in Cyprus (Agia Marina Xyliatou, Nicosia, Troodos)• Polarisation lidar (Elastic backscatter lidar with near-infrared(808 nm) and green (532 nm, Depolarization channel at 532 nm)• Ceilometers
AERONET sunphotometers• Sun-photometers(Nicosia, AMX, Troodos)• Radiative flux station

Vaisala CL51(Nicosia, AMX)CIMEL CE376 Polarisation lidar

Radiative flux station (AMX)

Funding:
These activities are supported until 2024 by the ATMO-ACCESS pilot.
Additional support to continue beyond that is being sought.
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EVID39: CORALCARE-C: USRLUAV flights up to 4-6 km for height-resolved observations
with the following instruments:• POPS and UCASS optical particle counters (0.1–40 µm)• GPAC: Impactors for sample collection (particles up to100 µm)• COBALD backscatter sondes (particle orientation)

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

EVID39: CORAL

Validation activities will involve:• a continuous observing activity in Limassol in collaboration withsimilar activities performed in Greece and Europe through otherEarthCARE cal/val activities;
ACROSS

CORAL• dedicated campaigns on the island, co-designed and coimplemented by the CARE-C/CyI using ground-based andairborne observations and ERATOSTHENES CoE providing
ground-based remote sensing aerosol and cloud observations
based on the instrument’s availability
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EVID39: CORAL• collocated measurements will be performed during ground and airborne campaigns, planned to be carried
in Cyprus as an initiative of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence (ERATOSTHENES CoE) and the Climate
and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) of The Cyprus Institute (for the airborne activities of USRL);• experiments will be designed such as to achieve the following core objectives:o perform a thorough validation of the EarthCARE stand-alone aerosol and clouds products;
o to utilize the validated aerosol and clouds products in Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) simulations for
depicting radiation and further intercompare with high-quality solar irradiance measurements at thesurface (ground-based actinometry) and at TOA (spaceborne radiometers, including BBR);• Validation of the L2 products of the EarthCARE mission;o Using ground based lidar and radar to validate the ATLID and CPR L2 products: C-FMR, C-CD, C-TC, CCLD, ACTC, ACM-CAP, ACM-COM.
o L1 products are beyond the scope of the CORAL, but a validation study for ATLID attenuatedbackscatter is also feasible by both PollyXT and CiMEL lidar systems:• Funding: CARO operation is supported by EXCELSIOR EU project, CAO and USRL activities supported byATMO-ACCESS project up to 2024.
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EVID39: CORAL

•Gain experience on thequality assured
measurements and datatransfer to EVDC•First synchronizedobservations using remotesensing and UAV flights on 25
Oct and 3 Nov 2023 simulated
overpasses over Cyprus.

•Atmospheric conditions:
Saharan Dust and Cloudformation

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

SETUP• Aerosol and Clouds ACTRIS
remote sensing facilities inCyprus• Radiation remote sensing
measurements for closurestudies• UAV in situ flights collocatedwith RS measurements
EXPECTED OUTCOMES• Aerosol and Clouds products
validation• ACI and Radiation closurestudiesESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy