PNRA0000033 “LIDAR OBSERVATORY AT CONCORDIA STATION (LIDAROBS)”

acronym
PNRA0000033-LIDAROBS
description

Here we propose to expand the observational capacities of the Lidar Observatory at Concordia Station, in order to continue the long-term series of the polar stratospheric cloud observations, important for climate research and the calibration of complementary measurements of shorter duration, such as space-borne measurements. The observatory will also be available for intensive campaigns, e.g. during the YOPP special observation periods. Hitherto only stratospheric clouds have been observed, but we propose to observe also tropospheric clouds, mainly cirrus clouds, with a dedicated telescope. Scientific knowledge of cloud processes in Antarctica is rather limited, mainly due to the difficulty to deploy sophisticated instrumentation in such remote and harsh environment. This is especially challenging for observations during the polar winter, when only few Antarctic stations are operating. In a recent publication Concordia station has been indicated as the most promising site for the observation of polar stratospheric clouds. This indication was based on the observation of tropospheric and stratospheric clouds by the space-borne lidar on the CALIPSO satellite. Clouds have an important impact on radiative transfer, affecting both the ice cover and the surface mass balance. Their role in climate forcing is not well determined and thus is creating uncertainties in global chemistry-climate models. Ground-based lidar measurements can provide useful information concerning clouds ranging from the lower troposphere up to the stratosphere. These measurements are complementary to observations by passive and active sensors on satellites, since they allow process studies and long-term observations at specific locations, while satellite observations cover a large part of the globe but have long revisiting times for specific locations. Ground-based lidar data can provide a calibration for the satellite missions and have, in principle, longer lifetimes than satellite missions.

Funding institution
MUR - Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca
contact person ISAC
date inizio fine
2023-08-28 - 2025-08-27