ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE
Science and Validation Workshop

13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ACROSS: EarthCARE Cal/Val experiment in the Mediterranean
E. Marinou and the ACROSS teamNational Observatory of Athens, Greece

ACROSS need and objectives
EarthCARE needs strong sub-orbital synergies to address Cal/Val and science objectives
The Mediterranean basin provides the complex aerosol-cloud environment needed to exploit EarthCARE capabilities
ACROSS is a proposition for an extended experiment that would increase synergies towards achieving the following objectives:
Validate the EarthCARE aerosol and cloud products using state-of-the-art ground-based and airborne
facilities

1.

2.

3.

Implement science studies targeting radiation closures, ACI, and data assimilation experiments

Provide information for harmonizing and bridging past and future missions, to deliver Climate Data
Records on aerosols and clouds

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

JATAC campaign for Aeolus & pre-EarthCARE (2021&2022)
ASKOS Science Objectives:• Aeolus Validation using an
unprecedented amount of quality
assured datasets• Science (e.g., dust effect on cloudformation, radiation, deposition)
Source: ESA
In situ measurements
onboard UAVs

Radiation

OPCs measurements (0.1 – 80 μm)
GPAC Impactor sampling (up to 100 μm)
Collected samples for chemical analysis
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ACROSS Mediterranean campaign locations
3 Intensive Observational Periodsof 3 months each, including
targeted large-scale field
experiments in the Mediterranean
Set up will follow ASKOS example:• ACTRΙS Aerosol and Cloud remotesensing facilities in Potenza/Italy,Cyprus and PANGEA/Greece.
• Radiation remote sensing
measurements for closure studies• UAV in-situ flights collocated with
the RS measurements

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

ACROSS Campaign: CNR-IMAA Aerosol and Cloud facility

MIRA35C
mobileradar

MW Raman lidars

MIRA35RadarFTIR• ACTRIS Aerosol &Cloud remotesensing facilitiesAerosolin situ

• Aerosol in situ
• FTIR+ mobile cloud radar
MUSARaman lidar

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

ACROSS Campaign: TROPOS, CyI, Eratosthenes Center facilities
Airborne measurements
Reaching altitudes > 5 km ASL

ACTRIS Aerosol & Cloud
remote sensing facilities

Skywalker UAV
Impactor 1GPAC
Impactorsampling (upto 100 μm)

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

UCASS 1UCASS 2

Impactor 2POPs & UCASS OPCsmeasurements(0.1 – 80 μm)

ACROSS Campaigns: PANGEA Aerosol, Cloud radiation facilities
PollyXT lidar

PANGEA observatory
Background conditions
representative for theMediterranean

MWRRadiometer
Cloud radar
Pyranometer• ACTRIS Aerosol and Cloud remote sensing• Longwave and Shortwave radiometers
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), ItalyAeronet+ eVe lidar scanningmobile platform,
placed under anEarthCARE cross point

eVe lidar upgrade & intercomparison with reference systems
Plans:• upgrade eVe towards a lidar tailored forthe Cal/Val of ALTID lidar• investigate the possibility of setting a
Fiducial Reference Measurement (FRM)
standard for lidar extinction and respective
QA/QC products
Status/Next steps:• Ongoing discussions with ESA andindustry for the upgrade of eVe lidar
towards enhancing the ATLID/EarthCARE
Cal/Val• Plans for characterization of the systemagainst ACTRIS reference lidar system
based to ACTRIS QA standards by summer
2024
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Aerosol & Cloud occurrence in PANGEA

10-year cloud statistics

Aerosol & Cloud abundance in Spring

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

Dust – Cloud interactions

Opportunity to enhance ACROSS withARM instrumentation
New call for proposals for field campaigns has beenlaunched yesterday!
The ACROSS partners aim to submit a proposal to ARMTime window: September 2026 – October 2027

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

ACROSS airborne activities: DLR
EarthCARE-related measurements on HALO

Silke Gross and DLR team: Autumn 2024

Instrumentation:
HSRL-Lidar (WALES) + WV DIAL
Cloud-Profiling Radar (MIRA35)
Hyper-Spectral Imager (specMACS) / VELOX
Microwave Radiometer (HAMP)

Dedicated validation flights out of Oberpfaffenhofen: Overpasses over ground stations (e.g. ACROSS –PANGEA)
 Characterization of general measurement situation

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

ACROSS airborne activities
ACROSS will be enhanced with additional measurements in the broader area in Spring/September 2025/2026
Griša Močnik: light aircraft with airborne in-situ @ 0 – 3km, absorption, scattering, collected samples, solarirradiance.
SSA

Hugh Coe, Philip Stier, Kamil Mroz: airborne in situ
measurements, W-band radar, wind lidar, elastic
backscatter lidar, available in 2026 & 2027
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Airborne overflights during ACROSS
Enhanced with airborne measurements in the broader area in Spring/September 2025/2026
Julien Delanoë, Cyrille Flamant: Airborne payload similar to
MAESTRO/THINICE i.e., HSRL/backscatter lidar (3b+α+δ),RASTA/BASTA 95GHz Doppler radars, SW & LW radiation, Aerosol andcloud in situ, ATR42 available in Spring 2025 (April & May), Spring2026 (March – Mid June), September 2026.
https://rali.aeris-data.fr

ATR42 - SAFIRE

Chris Hostetler, Simone Tanelli, Ed Nowottnick: Airborne
measurements with HSRL2 lidar (3b+2α+3δ), APR-3 radar (13, 35,and 94 GHz) Doppler dual-polarization radar system,
RSP polarimeter, available 2026 /2027.
HSRL-2

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

APR-3

Airborne overflights similar to ORACLES
NASA P-3 in-situ + remote sensing

Contact point: Jens Rendemann• Active & Passive Remote Sensing• In situ observations of radiation, aerosol & cloud microphysics

Possibly required EarthCARE CalVal adjustments:“Dust-capable” inlet; ice cloud properties & IN; remove “some”
remote sensing
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

Conclusions• ACROSS needs strong networking and coordination
between the airborne and ground components• The time periods would be defined after examining thefeasibility of the airborne components under discussion• The initial plan is to keep operational stations running andinitiate IOPs whenever an aircraft facility operates in the
Mediterranean region

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