European Aerosol Research Lidar Network

European Aerosol Research Lidar Network
Name	European Aerosol Research Lidar Network
Abbreviation	EARLINET
Formation	2000
Type	Research network
Purpose	Aerosol profiling using lidar
Headquarters	Bologna
Region served	Europe
Parent organization	European Commission

European Aerosol Research Lidar Network is a pan-European research network that coordinates high-resolution profiling of atmospheric aerosols using multi-wavelength lidar systems across Europe. The network integrates observations to support climate research, air quality assessment, and satellite validation by connecting ground-based stations, research institutions, and operational agencies. EARLINET links observational campaigns with modelling efforts involving remote sensing, atmospheric chemistry, and meteorology.

Overview

EARLINET operates as a distributed observing system of elastic, Raman, and high-spectral-resolution lidar instruments hosted at university laboratories, national meteorological services, and institute facilities such as Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, and German Aerospace Center. The network provides vertically resolved aerosol optical properties to support projects including Copernicus Programme, Global Atmosphere Watch, European Space Agency, World Meteorological Organization, and initiatives associated with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. EARLINET coordinates with satellite missions like CALIPSO, Sentinel-5P, Aeolus and Meteosat for validation and synergy and collaborates with modelling consortia such as European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.

History and Development

EARLINET emerged from collaborative discussions among European lidar groups during the late 1990s and was formally organized after workshops attended by representatives from DG Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and leading universities including University of Rome La Sapienza, University of Leipzig, University of Athens, and University of Granada. Early milestones include harmonization efforts influenced by protocols from World Meteorological Organization and validation campaigns tied to International Geophysical Year-style coordination. Major developments were driven by funding calls under framework programmes like FP6, FP7, and Horizon 2020, and by integration with initiatives led by European Research Council grantees and projects involving the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace.

Network Structure and Instrumentation

The network is organized into national and regional nodes encompassing lidar stations at research centers such as Lund University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, University of Warsaw, Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, and Finnish Meteorological Institute. Instrumentation includes multi-wavelength elastic backscatter lidars, Raman lidar systems, high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) units, and depolarization channels developed in laboratories like Fraunhofer Society and RAL Space. Standardized hardware and calibration protocols reference detector technologies from manufacturers and laboratory groups at ETH Zurich and INAF. EARLINET coordinates vertical profiling schedules, quality assurance, and intercomparison exercises with field campaigns conducted alongside expeditions by research vessels associated with SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography and airborne platforms from Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt.

Data Products and Processing

EARLINET produces calibrated aerosol optical depth profiles, extinction and backscatter coefficient vertical distributions, lidar ratio estimates, and depolarization ratio time series used for aerosol typing. Processing pipelines implement inversion algorithms developed in collaboration with academics from University of Cologne, University of Heidelberg, University of Vienna, and software frameworks influenced by datasets from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Met Office. Data harmonization follows best practices compatible with AERONET and satellite retrieval intercomparison efforts tied to Group on Earth Observations. Quality control, uncertainty quantification, and data archiving occur through distributed data centers and portals linked to the European Climate Research Alliance and national data infrastructures in Italy, Germany, Spain, and Greece.

Research Applications and Findings

EARLINET observations have elucidated long-range transport of dust from the Sahara, smoke plumes from wildfires linked to events in Portugal and Russia, and volcanic aerosol injections from eruptions such as Eyjafjallajökull. Studies combining EARLINET profiles with models from Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and operational analyses at Met Office have quantified aerosol radiative effects relevant to assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The network has advanced understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions investigated with groups at Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace and University of Cambridge, contributed to air quality assessments coordinated with European Environment Agency, and supported health impact research involving teams at Karolinska Institute and Imperial College London.

Collaboration, Funding, and Governance

EARLINET operates through collaborative agreements among universities, national research councils like Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Austrian Academy of Sciences, and European agencies. Funding has been provided by framework programmes including FP7, Horizon 2020, and grants from the European Research Council, national ministries of research in France, Italy, Germany, and regional science foundations. Governance includes scientific steering committees composed of members from partner institutions such as CNR, CNRS, CSIC, CNES, and advisory interactions with programmes like Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization. EARLINET continues to evolve within the broader European atmospheric observation landscape, aligning with initiatives led by European Commission research directorates and national agencies to maintain long-term aerosol monitoring.

Category:Atmospheric science Category:Remote sensing Category:European research networks