ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence: The ECoE is a non-profit research organisation on Earth Observation and Geo-information. The ECoE’s staff has significant experience and scientific knowledge on satellite image processing and geo-informatics, in the three thematic clusters/departments of the Centre, namely Environment & Climate, Resilient Society, and Big Earth Data analytics. The ECoE’s staff have a substantial track record in research grants for several EO-based applications, funded through national and EU funds. Moreover, the ECoE has significant expertise in open science practices, providing open access to the group’s scientific results, including open access and open IPR to research outputs via a certified repository (KTISIS of CUT). The ECoE also has a Gender Equality Plan, published on its website, that includes dedicated resources, collecting and monitoring data, training activities, and other gender balance/ equality/ dimension areas in organizational culture, research, recruitment, etc. In the coming years, it is expected that the CARO National facility (Cyprus Atmospheric Remote Sensing Observatory) for Atmospheric remote sensing observations and the CSN (Cyprus Solar Radiation Network) will be fully operational and the EO Satellite Data Acquisition Station (DAS), will be established, to directly receive data from EO satellite missions, allowing bot infrastructures the Near Real Time (NRL) monitoring, and thereby providing time critical information for science and products over the EMMENA region. Those unique observations will be exploited using AI and modelling techniques to assist the generation of new products/services. CARO will become one of the most advanced facilities placed in the EMMENA region with high interest on atmospheric composition structure for continuous monitoring of aerosol and clouds providing ground truthing observations and a reference station for calibration/ validation of satellite missions
Description: The PollyXT lidar is a fully automated instrument capable of 24/7 operation. It is equipped with:
Three (3) elastic backscatter channels, at 355nm, 532nm and 1064nm.
Two (2) rotational-vibrational Raman channels, at 387nm and 607nm.
Two (2) linear depolarization channels at 355nm and 532nm.
One (1) water vapor detection channel at 407nm.
Two (2) near field elastic backscatter channels, at 355nm and 532nm.
Two (2) near field rotational-vibrational Raman channels, at 387nm and 607nm.
Quantitative measurements of aerosol extinction and backscattering profiles, and thus the extinction-to-backscatter or lidar ratio, throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere with high spatial and temporal resolution. Spectral and polarization information (extinction-related and backscatter-related Ångström exponents and particle linear depolarization ratio) is retrieved in order to classify aerosol types and to determine natural and anthropogenic contributions to the aerosol load. The Limassol lidar variables also include information on geometrical boundaries of aerosol layers and layer-mean optical properties.
Information on particle microphysical and radiative properties, e.g., particle size distribution, absorption, complex refractive index, spherical/non spherical fraction, phase matrix, is retrieved by the measured spectral aerosol Optical Depths, and sky radiance.
Description: Pulsed “Streamline” Doppler Lidar systems operates at an eye-safe wavelength (1.5 µm, laser protection class 1M) and provide profiles of the backscatter intensity of aerosols and clouds, the Doppler wind components and derived profiles of the horizontal wind speed and wind direction. The scanner unit allows complex scan patterns in the upper hemisphere (AllSky), or within a cone angle of 19° (Profiler VS).
Description: The pulsed X Ka-band cloud radar systems MIRA-35 is unique in performance and durability and deliver a calibrated Doppler spectrum of cloud droplets in up to 1024 height steps for a vertical range up to 15 km at a finest time resolution of 20 Hz (no coherent averaging). The wide dynamic range and the very high system sensitivity allow a tomography of cloud structures even in thin ice layer.
Description: RPG`s profiling radiometers are mainly used to derive vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and humidity (RPG-HATPRO). The infrared radiometer extension allows to cloud base height and ice cloud detection.
Retrieval of vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature, vertical profile of atmospheric humidty (relative and absolute humidity), Liquid Water Path (LWP), Integrated Water Vapor (IWV)
Description: The CHM15k ceilometer measures aerosol backscatter profiles and cloud bases up to 15 km height.
The unit has a solid state laser integrated and operates at 1064 nm, a wavelength where water absorption is not an issue.
Description: The OTT Parsivel² is a modern laser disdrometer for comprehensive measurement of all precipitation types. The Parsivel² captures both the size and speed of falling particles, classifying them into one of 32 separate size and velocity classes.
Description: Consists from a solar tracker and sensors for high quality solar radiation measurements: Six (6) Pyranometers, 1 (one) Pyrheliometer, 1 (one) Pyrgeometer, Data loggers. All sensors are classified as Secondary Standards (Scientific quality and highest accuracy Applications) according to the WMO standards.
Units: 1
Hosting Laboratory / Department: ERATOSTHENES CYPRUS SOLAR NETWORK (CSN)
Erythemal UV actinometers are designed and optimized for the measurement outdoors of solar radiation with the same response as a ‘standard’ human skin for susceptibility to damage from sunburn.
This ‘Erythemal’ response is defined by ISO/CIE 17166:2019. From the value of ‘Erythemal’ UV irradiance the Global Solar UV Index can be simply calculated.
