A scientific study recently published in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques describes the Italian cooperative network of automated lidar-ceilometers (ALICENET) presenting both its infrastructure and its capability to provide original and quantitative products describing atmospheric particulate matter. Its applications range from the support to air quality evaluations to a better understanding of aerosol impacts on radiation and climate.
ALICENET (Automated Lidar-Ceilometer Network), established in 2015 and coordinated by CNR-ISAC since then, is progressively expanding. Thanks to the strict collaboration with several regional environmental agencies, universities, research institutions and private companies, it currently includes 20 monitoring sites across the Italian peninsula.
ALICENET allows monitoring, with high vertical and temporal resolution and in near real time, the atmospheric particulate matter load in different atmospheric environments across the peninsula, ranging from urban areas, to coastal, mountainous and volcanic environments. It allows for example to capture and follow in time episodes of transregional and transboundary transport of natural and anthropogenic particles, detecting plumes associated to pollution, biomass burning, mineral dust or volcanic emissions.
The ALICENET network also contributes to different activities at the European level, among which the EUMETNET E-PROFILE program, the EC H2020 Project RIURBANS and the ECMWF-CAMS National Collaboration initiative.
The study published in AMT, is the result of a close collaboration between CNR-ISAC, ARPA Valle d’Aosta and the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ and, as for ALICENET activities in general, highlights the importance of the synergy among research institutions and environmental agencies to develop innovative tools in support to the atmospheric aerosol monitoring and relevant scientific research.
