KEYWORDS: Clouds, Atmospheric modeling, Solar radiation models, Aerosols, Equipment, Data modeling, Solar energy, Climatology, Atmospheric particles, Solar radiation
Solar irradiance enhancement events, particularly under broken cloud conditions, can affect the Earth's energy balance and have direct implications for solar energy production and climate modeling. The ability to accurately quantify and understand these events can significantly contribute to improving our understanding of cloud-radiation interactions and, by extension, regional and global climate predictions. The Cyprus Aerosol and Cloud Experiment (CyCARE) campaign was an effort to elucidate aerosol-cloud interactions under the distinct dust and aerosol pollution conditions of the Middle East. Conducted in Limassol, Cyprus, from October 2016 to April 2018, as a collaborative endeavor between the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS). Utilizing the Leipzig Aerosol and Cloud Remote Observations System (LACROS) — a suite comprising both active and passive remote sensing instruments — the campaign facilitated an unprecedented collection of atmospheric data. Among these instruments, the PollyXT Raman-polarization lidar, 35-GHz cloud radar, disdrometer, Doppler wind-lidar, and microwave radiometer have been instrumental in capturing the vertical aerosol distribution, cloud microphysical properties, precipitation patterns, aerosol and cloud dynamics. A noteworthy aspect of the Cy-CARE campaign is the integration of the MObile RaDiation ObseRvatory (MORDOR) from June 2017, enhancing the measurement capabilities with a Class A pyranometer in compliance with ISO 9060:2018 standards for global horizontal irradiance monitoring. This study specifically aims to assess solar irradiance enhancement events attributable to broken cloud conditions observed during the Cy-CARE campaign. Leveraging the clear sky shortwave irradiance simulations from the radiative transfer package libRadtran, the research identifies and examines these enhancement events. Ancillary measurements of cloud evolution and microphysical parameters, courtesy of LACROS, furnish detailed insights into the cloud types instrumental in these enhancements.
This work presents the Cyprus Flight Campaign of ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence and DLR (CERAD) that took place in October 2023 within the framework of the EXCELSIOR H2020 Widespread Teaming Phase 2 project titled “ERATOSTHENES: EXcellence Research Centre for Earth SurveiLlance and Space-Based Monitoring of the EnviRonment”. The campaign's main goal was to acquire about 100.000 high-resolution stereo 3K images and hyperspectral HySpex images, complemented by ground truth measurements to perform high-resolution hyperspectral analysis and 3D mapping. The campaign aimed at the capacity development of ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence staff on processing these imagery, cross-calibration and validation of sensors, and analysis of land, water, and cultural heritage sites with hyperspectral sensors. This campaign captured high-resolution hyperspectral imagery across a wide spectral range (420–2500nm) in several parts of Cyprus (Paphos and Limassol Districts). Parallel to this airborne campaign, the research team of ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence conducted a ground-based measurement campaign, which included the collection of spectroradiometric measurements (HR 1024 and GER 1500), water samples for laboratory analysis of water (e.g., dissolved organic matter) and soil (e.g., texture, pH, organic content) samples, GPS tracking, soil moisture and meteorological sensors and on-board UAV multispectral cameras. The collected data will support various applications, such as calibration and validation of satellite products, environmental monitoring, vegetation analysis, and disaster risk assessment. According to the literature, the use of airborne hyperspectral imaging is essential since the airborne remote sensing data acts as a bridge between large-scale satellite and point-scale field observations. Furthermore, hyperspectral imaging is a simultaneous acquisition of spatial images in several spectrally adjacent bands and a highly multidisciplinary and complex field. The present campaign demonstrates the efficiency of airborne hyperspectral imaging in capturing detailed environmental data and highlights the vital role of ground-truth measurements in verifying airborne and enriching environmental data. The combined use of the methods mentioned above paves the way for advanced ecological monitoring thereby contributing to informed decision-making and sustainable development efforts.
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