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| Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique | |
|---|---|
| Name | Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique |
| Established | 1960s |
| Location | Villeneuve d'Ascq, France |
| Affiliations | Université de Lille, CNRS, UMR 8518 |
Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique is a French research laboratory specializing in atmospheric optics, remote sensing, and aerosol physics located in Villeneuve-d'Ascq near Lille, associated with Université de Lille and the Centre national de la recherche scientifique. The laboratory integrates experimental, theoretical, and instrumental work to study radiative transfer, lidar techniques, and optical properties of aerosols, contributing to climate research, air quality monitoring, and satellite validation. It operates within national and international frameworks, linking to research infrastructures and programs in Europe and beyond.
The laboratory traces its origins to postwar French efforts in optical physics and atmospheric science, emerging amid institutions such as CNRS and Université de Lille and influenced by figures connected to Institut d'Optique and Observatoire de Paris, while engaging with programs like Programme National de Télédétection Atmosphérique and EUROTRAC. Over decades it has interacted with entities including Centre Spatial Universitaire, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, and Centre Européen de Recherche et de Formation Avancée en Calcul Scientifique, adapting techniques from radar meteorology and spectroscopy traditions exemplified by collaborations with Météo-France, Institut Pasteur, and Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur. Its evolution paralleled developments at Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, and Laboratoire d'Aérologie, while maintaining ties to Université Paris-Saclay, École Polytechnique, and Collège de France networks. Historical milestones involved equipment transfers from Laboratoire de Physique Moléculaire, joint campaigns with Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, and participation in EU Framework Programmes alongside Max Planck Institute, TNO, and Forschungszentrum Jülich.
The laboratory's core objectives include advancing lidar methodologies, characterizing aerosol optical properties, and validating satellite remote sensing retrievals, working in contexts shared with NASA Goddard, ESA, JAXA, and EUMETSAT missions. Research themes intersect with climate modeling groups at IPSL, Met Office Hadley Centre, and NCAR, while targeting air quality policy interfaces exemplified by work with European Environment Agency and WHO initiatives. Studies integrate spectroscopy techniques informed by Institut Fresnel and Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, using radiative transfer frameworks from Paul Scherrer Institute and Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris while contributing to inversion algorithm development alongside teams at ETH Zurich, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London. Objectives further encompass instrument development in partnership with ONERA, Thales, and Airbus Defence and Space, and methodological cross-fertilization with groups at University of Colorado Boulder, University of Maryland, and University of Bremen.
Facilities include lidar stations, nephelometers, sunphotometers, aerosol mass spectrometers, and anechoic optical benches, benefiting from synergies with observatories such as Observatoire de Haute-Provence, Pic du Midi Observatory, and Mauna Loa Observatory partnerships. Instrumentation lists echo equipment from NOAA, AERONET, ACTRIS, and GALION networks, and utilises calibration standards developed with Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais, PTB, and INTA. Imaging spectrometers and hyperspectral systems draw on heritage from CNES missions and collaborations with Thales Alenia Space, while wind lidars and Doppler systems link to cooperation with Vaisala, Leosphere, and RIEGL. Laboratory infrastructure supports field campaigns using research aircraft from SAFIRE, DLR Falcon, and NERC Airborne Research, with containerised mobile labs compatible with HyMeX, ICOS, and AGAGE initiatives.
Major contributions include validation of satellite products for Sentinel missions, algorithm support for MERIS and MODIS retrievals, and participation in campaigns like SAFARI, AMMA, and CARBOSOL alongside projects such as ChArMEx and POLARCAT. The laboratory contributed to development of multiwavelength Raman lidar techniques adopted by EARLINET and contributed to airborne aerosol characterization in campaigns coordinated with ACT-America and ORACLES, interfacing with research by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory. It has provided datasets used in IPCC assessments and supported climate studies linked to HadGEM and CMIP intercomparisons, while instrument prototypes advanced in partnership with CEA and CNES were adopted by national met services including RMI and AEMET. The group also published methodological work cited by journals and institutions such as Nature, Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.
Collaborative networks span European and global institutions: CNRS Units, Université Paul Sabatier, Sorbonne Université, KU Leuven, Universiteit Utrecht, University of Helsinki, University of Oslo, and University of Bern, as well as international partners including NASA, ESA, JAXA, NOAA, and CSIRO. Industry and national labs partners include Airbus, Thales, ONERA, Safran, CEA, and Institut Laue–Langevin, with participation in EU projects funded under Horizon 2020 and FP7 alongside partners such as TNO, SINTEF, and VITO. The lab is active in consortia like ACTRIS, EARLINET, AERONET, and ICOS, and engages with policy bodies including European Commission DG RTD, EEA, and national ministries via memoranda with ADEME and ANR-funded programs.
The laboratory hosts graduate students and postdocs from Université de Lille, École Centrale de Lille, Institut Mines-Télécom, and ENS, supervising theses in collaboration with Institut d'Optique Graduate School and Université Paris Diderot, and participates in doctoral schools linked to EURAXESS and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions. Outreach activities include public seminars coordinated with Palais de la Découverte, science festivals with Lille Métropole, training courses for operational staff from Météo-France and regional air quality agencies, and citizen science contributions via networks like GLOBE and AirVisual partnerships. Educational programs interface with Erasmus+ exchanges involving University of Bologna, TU Delft, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Researchers at the laboratory have received national and international honors including CNRS bronze and silver medals, prizes from Académie des Sciences, European Research Council grants, and recognition through Horizon grants and ANR awards, with team contributions acknowledged by bodies such as EUMETSAT, ESA Earth Observation Science Advisory Committee, and national academies. The laboratory's instrumental achievements have been cited in award contexts at conferences like AGU Fall Meeting, EGU General Assembly, and SPIE Photonics Europe, reflecting impact across atmospheric science communities.
Category:Research institutes in France Category:Atmospheric physics