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Earth Observation Satellites & Ground Monitoring  Solutions – an essential synergy for Air Quality and Climate Change

Earth Observation Satellites & Ground Monitoring  Solutions – an essential synergy for Air Quality and Climate Change

April 30, 2020

Atmospheric monitoring and climate analysis are strategic missions in order to improve the understanding of air quality dynamics and climate change evolutions. This in turn is a pre-requisite for providing reliable information reports with real data measurements and to help decision makers and end-users to understand the impacts and causes of air pollution with atmospheric impacts and to act upon it.

Satellite data is key for atmospheric and climate monitoring by providing a continuous and global view of the Earth parameters. These data are essential inputs for forecast models by improving their accuracy.

By combining satellite observations with models of the atmosphere and measurements from ground-based instruments, like Cimel Remote Sensing Solutions, it is possible to measure accurately and forecast aerosols (particles suspended in the air), as well as quantify gases level (ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide…) and several other kind of environmental parameters (planetary boundary layer, water leaving reflectance for Ocean color, solar radiation, water vapor, atmospheric concentration profiles PM2.5/PM10…).

Cimel solutions keep working continuously and automatically, to help the calibration of satellite instruments and validate their data. Furthermore, Cimel is always active to support the various research activities from the worldwide scientific community.

In this video, different aerosols are highlighted by color, including dust (orange), sea salt (blue), nitrates (pink) and carbonaceous (red), with brighter regions corresponding to higher aerosol amounts.

See more on: https://lnkd.in/edPSdrM

Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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GPS roll-over

GPS roll-over the 3rd of November 2019 on the CE318-T

Important for existing CE318-T customers:

The GPS week counter has been reset the 3rd of November 2019.

Location data reports remained correct while the date and week number are affected. 

The CIMEL CE318-T photometer is impacted by the GPS week counter reset.

It is necessary to use the last version of the firmware for the photometer to remain operational.

Please see the related process bellow to check and update the right firmware version at your earliest convenience to fix the desynchronization.

You will need a computer and to be on site to connect on the control unit and update the firmware.

If you have any question or concern regarding the GPS roll-over issue, feel free to contact us.

Download the procedure here.

N.B.: If you are registered in AERONET, please contact the NASA AERONET team.

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Ocean Obs 19

OceanObs'19

OceanObs’19 – An ocean of opportunity

September 16-20, 2019 | Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Part of the decadal conference series, OceanObs’19 will bring together the ocean observing community ranging from scientists to end users. The conference aims to “improve response to scientific and societal needs of a fit-for-purpose integrated ocean observing system,” to help better understand the environment of the Earth, monitor climate, and inform adaptation strategies as well as the sustainable use of ocean resources.

OceanObs’19 will address the following themes: observing system governance; data and information systems; observing technologies and networks; pollution and human health; hazards and maritime safety; blue economy; discovery; ecosystem health and biodiversity; climate variability and change; and water, food and energy security.

The conference is organized with support from: the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); the European Commission; the Global Climate Observing System – an initiative co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Science Council (ISC); and other partners.

We are very proud to be a part of this event and look forward to some lively and interesting discussion on a vital subject.

See more on: https://www.oceanobs19.net/

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FIREX – AQ Mission

FIREX – AQ Mission

Approximately half of fire emissions in the US are from Northwestern wildfires and half are from prescribed fires that burn mostly in the Southeast US. Wildfires burn slightly more fuel and therefore have overall larger emissions, but prescribed fires dominate the area burned and the number of fires. FIREX-AQ will investigate both wild and prescribed fires. Wildfires generally result in exposures with larger pollution concentrations over larger areas, and cause both local and regional air quality impacts. Their emissions are often transported thousands of miles and can impact large regions of the US at a time. Prescribed fires are usually smaller and less intense than most wildfires but occur more frequently and throughout the whole year. They are usually ignited during periods that minimize population expose and air quality impacts, but can cause regional backgrounds to increase, are generally in closer proximity to populations, and are responsible for a large fraction of the US PM2.5 emissions.

This summer, NOAA and NASA are teaming up on a massive research campaign called FIREX-AQ that will use satellites, aircraft, drones, mobile and ground stations to study smoke from wildfires and agricultural crop fires across the U.S. 

Objective: To improve understanding of wildfire and agricultural fire impacts on air quality, weather, and climate.

Cimel provides a CE376 micro-LiDAR as well as its network of CE318-T photometers through AERONET. These solutions will provide detailed measurements of aerosols emitted from wildfires and agricultural fires to address science topics and evaluate impacts on local and regional air quality, and how satellite data can be used to estimate emissions more accurately.

The Primary Mission Partners are:

Photo: P. Cullis, NOAA / CIRES

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COBIACC campaign

COBIACC campaign

Is the rural atmosphere better than elsewhere?

For the entire month of July in Caillouël-Crépigny (France), scientists from the University of Lille and ATMO Hauts-de-France will analyze particles in the air and their impact on health in rural areas.

Since 28 June, more than twenty air pollution measuring devices deployed over 100 m² in the commune of Caillouël-Crépigny (02) may answer this question.

Objectives: To understand the formation and the composition of particles and their precursors in the air in a rural environment during the summer period.

The sensors collect dust from the countryside and nearby dust from forests, roads, buildings and industries in the distance.

The facility consists of four containers installed on 100 m² in the village square of Caillouël-Crépigny. They accommodate twenty-two observation instruments including our Cimel Sun Sky Lunar CE318-T photometer as well as our CE376 micro-LiDAR. These instruments, unique in France, measure the impact of climate change on air quality, biodiversity and health. Thirty researchers take turns night and day to study the chemical modifications of particles during periods of high heat.

This campaign was named COBIACC for Campagne d’OBservation Intensive des Aérosols et précurseurs à Caillouël-Crépigny. It is the result of a partnership between Labex CaPPA, a laboratory of excellence in Lille, CPER Climibio, an environmental project involving 16 laboratories in the Hauts-de-France and Atmo Hauts-de-France, the regional air quality observatory.

Laboratories involved:

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ILRC29 – International Laser Radar Conference (Hefei – China)

ILRC29 – International Laser Radar Conference (Hefei – China)

June, 24-28 2019

After 50 years, for the first time, the 29th ILRC came to China! ILRC is held biennially under the oversight of the ICLAS, of the International Radiation Commission (IRC). The 29th ILRC was co-hosted by six institutes/universities in China and supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hefei municipal government. It is also persistently supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and many international/national partners and enterprises.

During the 29th ILRC, the new lidar technologies and techniques for profiling the aerosol and clouds, trace gases, water vapor, temperature, turbulence and 3D-wind were explored. The application of lidar networking and space-borne lidars were  investigated. Emphasis was given to weather forecasting, environmental and climate change investigations combined with multiple instruments and platforms. The lidar technologies extended to ocean, land surface and biological applications were also present.

The 29th ILRC was an excellent opportunity to share and exchange ideas. We would like to thank everyone who came at Cimel’s booth and poster presentation during ILRC29. We were pleased to welcome you all!

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GPS reset

GPS reset

A GPS reset initially scheduled for April 6 has been postponed to November 2, 2019. We will update the software shortly so that your instruments are not affected by this modification. Stay tuned!

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Come and visit us at ISTP Toulouse

Come and visit us at ISTP Toulouse

Cimel is exhibiting at ISTP, the 11th edition of the International Symposium on Tropospheric Profiling in Toulouse, on 20-24 May 2019.

Come and visit our booth to discover our innovative Remote Sensing Solutions!