RESEARCH ASSOCIATES: G. Chourdakis, G. Tsaknakis

MAILING ADDRESS: Laboratory of Laser Development and their Applications
Physics Department, National Technical University of Athens
Heroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou, GREECE

TELEPHONE NUMBER: +30 1 7722992

FAX NUMBER: +30 1 7722928

E-MAIL ADDRESS: apdlidar@central.ntua.gr

WEB SITE: http://www.physics.ntua.gr/Academics/gr/research.html

DATE: August 20, 2001

LIDAR LOCATION (CITY, COUNTRY, LAT., LONG.): Athens, Greece, 39.9N, 28.9E

SITE ELEVATION: 220 m

PARAMETER(S) OR CONSTITUENT(S) MEASURED:
1. Retrieval of the vertical profile of the aerosol extinction and backscatter coefficients
2. Retrieval of the aerosol optical depth
3. PBL structural parameters

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND SPONSOR:

Research Objectives:
- Establish a quantitative climatological data base for the vertical distribution and variability of tropospheric aerosols over Athens, Greece,
- Quantify the aerosol radiative properties in the UV and VIS
- Identify main sources (i.e. industrial/urban sites, Sahara region) and important long-range transport mechanisms of aerosols in the troposphere

Funding sources: National level (GSRT, NTUA) and European level: European Union

MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE: Elastic and N2-Raman backscatter lidar

MEASUREMENT RANGE: 0.5-10 km

VERTICAL RESOLUTION: variable: 7.5-300 m

FREQ. OF MEASUREMENT (TYPICALLY): 3 times per week

MEASUREMENT TIMES (TYPICALLY): 08:00, 13:00 and 19:00 UT

LASER TYPE AND WAVELENGTH (s): Nd:YAG laser (355-532 nm)

LASER ENERGY/PULSE: 80 mJ (355 nm) and 180 mJ (532 nm)

PULSE REPETITION RATE: 10 Hz

RECEIVER SIZE AND CONFIGURATION: 305 mm primary mirror / Cassegrainian

DETECTORS USED: PMTs (Hamamatsu R928 and R7400P-06)

SIGNAL PROCESSING: Analog and Photon counting with 200 MHz Preamplifier

ANALOG-T0-DIGITAL CONVERTER:
8-bit, 1 GHz, 1024 bins (analog) (2 channels)
250 MHz single photon counting (2 channels)

COMPUTER: IBM PC Pentium II

PLATFORM (if applicable):

PUBLICATIONS:

E. Hamonou, P. Chazette, D. Balis, F. Dulac, X. Schneider, ?. Galani, G. Ancellet, A. Papayannis, "Characterization of the vertical structure of Saharan dust export to the Mediterranean basin", J. Geophys. Res., D104, 22.257-22.270, 1999.

D. Balis, A. Papayannis, E. Galani, F. Marenco, V. Santacesaria, E. Hamonou, P. Chazette, I. Ziomas, and C. Zerefos, "Tropospheric LIDAR aerosol measurements and sun photometric observations at Thessaloniki, Greece", Atmos. Environ., 34, 925-932, 2000.

J. Schneider, D. Balis, C. Boecmann, J. Boesenberg, B. Calpini, A. Chaikovski, A. Comeron, P. Flamant, V. Freudenthaler, A. Hagard, I. Mattis, V. Mitev, A. Papayannis, G. Pappalardo, J. Pelon, M.R. Perrone, D. Resendes, N. Spinelli, T. Trickl, G. Vaughan, G. Visconti, "A European aerosol research LIDAR Network to establish an aerosol climatology (EARLINET)", J. Aerosol Science, 31, S592-S593, 2000.

A. Papayannis, and G. Chourdakis, "The EOLE Project: A multi-wavelength laser remote sensing (LIDAR) system for ozone and aerosol measurements in the troposphere and the lower stratosphere. Part II: Aerosol measurements over Athens, Greece", Int. J. Rem. Sensing (in press, 2001).

K. Kourtidis, D. Balis, E. Galani, I. Ziomas, A. Papayannis, P.Perros, and C. Zerefos, "Regional tropospheric ozone over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea", J. Geophys. Res. (in press, 2001).

COMMENTS:
- Continuous measurements of aerosols over Athens since May 1, 2000.
- Upgrade to aerosol/ozone DIAL system foreseen during 2002.