Project plan
In order to achieve the overall objectives the project has 8 research Work Packages, which are divided into research tasks.
- WP1 - Development and adaptation of in-situ and remote sensing aerosol instruments for field campaigns.
In this WP we will adapt and modify existing instruments to measure vertical profiles of aerosol properties in the lower troposphere (whole PBL) and develop new instruments to observe in-situ aerosol single-scattering properties, specifically absorbing properties. In addition, one of the most important goals of this work will focus on developing the strategy and logistic of field experiments at the ARR site and at Svalbard.
- WP2 - A new approach to obtain profiles of aerosol single-scattering properties.
The objective of this work package is to develop new methods to retrieve aerosol single scattering properties from ground-based remote sensing measurements and in-situ observations onboard the RPAS. The synergy of the data obtained from in-situ and remote sensing instruments will improve techniques to measure and retrieve aerosol optical properties, particularly absorbing properties.
- WP3 - Impact of air-sea exchange on Arctic absorbing aerosols.
We plan to measure vertical aerosol fluxes using the eddy correlation and the gradient methods during the proposed Arctic campaigns to study removal mechanisms of absorbing aerosols from the marine boundary layer.
- WP4 - Variability of vertical structure of aerosol properties during the Arctic haze events.
In this WP we plan to determine typical vertical profiles of the optical properties in the troposphere (Arctic haze) conditions versus background conditions, and to calculate the related micro-physical parameters, over the Arctic site (Svalbard) and the Sub-Arctic site (Andoya).
- WP5 - Modelling of chemical and optical properties of the Arctic aerosols (at the regional scale) for campaign support and post analysis.
The main objective of the WP is to support measurement based analyses of aerosol optical properties as well as their distribution and variability in the Arctic. Modelling will be undertaken with the GEM-AQ model which is a state-of-the-art chemical weather model.
- WP6 - Horizontal inhomogeneity of aerosol optical properties in the European polar regions including Svalbard fiords.
In this WP we will study changes in optical properties over the land and open sea in order to be able to provide a “map” of such changes. This will be supported by information from satellite data and the results will be used in modelling scenarios.
- WP7 - Modelling of aerosol radiative effect (forcing) over Svalbard fjords.
The main objective of this WP is to estimate the radiative forcing of absorbing aerosols over the non-uniform Earth’s surface.
- WP8 - Modelling of aerosol direct radiative forcing in the European Arctic.
The objective of this WP is to assess and improve the current state of modelling of direct aerosol forcing in the Arctic, and to investigate the factors that underlie the present
uncertainty.