ASKOS Campaign 2021/2022: Overview of measurements and applications

Abstract

<p>In the framework of the Joint Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign (JATAC), the ASKOS experiment was implemented in Cabo Verde during summer and autumn of 2021 and 2022. The main objective of ASKOS was the collection of an unprecedented dataset of synergistic measurements in the region, to be used to address a wide range of scientific objectives, namely the support of the validation of Aeolus mission’s products, the study of the processes affecting dessert dust transport (water vapor, giant particles, mixing with boundary layer dynamics), the characterization of the cloud microphysics, the effect of dust particles in the cloud formation over the region, the effect of the large dust particles on radiation and others.</p> <p>During the ASKOS experiment, intense ground-based remote sensing and airborne in situ measurements took place on and above Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, Cabo Verde. At the Ocean Science Center in Mindelo (OSCM), a full ACTRIS remote sensing super site was set up in 2021, including a multiwavelength-Raman-polarization lidar PollyXT, an AERONET sun photometer, a Scanning Doppler wind lidar, a microwave radiometer and a cloud radar belonging to ESA fiducial reference network (FRM4Radar). Additionally, the ESA’s reference lidar system eVe, a combined linear/circular polarization lidar with Raman capabilities, was deployed. In 2022, the operations were enhanced with the deployment of airborne in-situ aerosol measurements on-board UAVs deployed by the Cyprus Institute, solar radiation measurements supported by PMOD/WRC, dust particle orientation measurements from the WALL-E lidar of National Observatory of Athens, and radiosonde releases equipped with additional electric field and electric charge measurements. The campaign was supported by dedicated numerical weather and dust simulations from CAMS and ECMWF, and tailored WRF simulations with nested domains above the campaign site.  </p> <p>From the ASKOS dataset, three cases have been selected as "golden cases” where multiple JATAC airborne platforms and Aeolus satellite performed collocated measurements alongside with the ground-based instrumentation around the ASKOS operations site. Furthermore, multiple synergistic measurements with the JATAC airborne platforms were performed in the broader Cabo Verde region. Here, we quickly introduce ASKOS measurements and present first results. </p>

eVe Lidar Measurements during the ASKOS/JATAC Campaign

“…To this end, the Joint Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign (JATAC) has been implemented in the Cabo Verde islands during 2021 and 2022 with the main aim of collecting quality-assured reference measurements for the calibration and validation of Aeolus products in intense dust loads and in the tropics [5]. In ASKOS, which is the ground-based component of JATAC, a suite of remote sensing and in situ instrumentation has been utilized to collect wind, aerosol, and cloud observations of high quality [6]. eVe lidar, the ESA's novel ground reference system, was deployed in ASKOS and provided reference linear and circular depolarization measurements for the validation of the aerosol properties from Aeolus.…”

Assessing the Impact of Aeolus Wind Profiles in WRF-Chem Model Dust Simulations in September 2021

“…The ALADIN instrument, onboard ESA's Aeolus satellite, is capable of enhancing weather forecasts and atmospheric dynamics understanding, including dust transport. Assimilating Aeolus wind profiles into numerical models shows positive impacts on shortand medium-term forecasts [4] This study investigates the potential improvements in the WRF-Chem dust simulation performance using Aeolus wind profiles and evaluates its performance against the LIVAS pure dust dataset during the ASKOS/JATAC campaign [5].…”