One step further in the objectives of LALINET: preparation for the next major volcanic eruption and validations of the UTLS aerosols measurements from EarthCare and Sage III satellite missions.

Abstract:

Very few lidar measurements of stratospheric aerosols (SA) have been conducted in the tropics and the Southern hemisphere during the past years. This fact was revealed critically for the study of the SA evolution and the climatic effects of the Agung, El Chichon and Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruptions. The lidars contributing to the Latin American Lidar Network (LALINET) are distributed from high latitudes of the Southern hemisphere to the tropics in the Northern hemisphere. LALINET, focused up to the present on tropospheric aerosols lidar measurements, recently conducted measurements of the tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols from the eruption of the Calbuco volcano on April 22^nd, 2015. Volcanic tropospheric aerosols were measured in Chile and Argentina, but also stratospheric aerosols in Brazil, were reported. The Stratospheric Sulfur and its Role in Climate SSiRC-SPARC initiative is coordinating the Volcano Response (VolRes) group to prepare a plan for the next major volcanic eruption. A set of particular actions has been proposed for the SA lidar measurements in the frame of this initiative. LALINET is setting up progressively a program for SA measurements, making use of the existing lidar facilities. The lidars currently retrieving tropospheric aerosols profiles are being tested for its signal to noise ratios in the region of the stratosphere they can probe. A standardized procedure for conducting the measurements, its quality control and processing will be developed. The 2018 regular training course at the biannual LALINET workshops will include SA lidar measurements, its quality control and processing. In addition, the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology is contributing to the refurbishing of the stratospheric aerosols lidar at Camaguey, Cuba. LALINET is also coordinating with the members of the SSiRC Steering Committee in charge of VOLRES for the fast deployments of the required equipment to conduct balloon-borne measurements in volcanic plumes at lidar sites, in case of next major volcanic eruption. LALINET has also submitted proposals to NASA for SAGE III and to ESA for validations of the EarthCare. LALINET expects more contributions from the international scientific community, who played an important role in LALINET born and development, to join us in this new scientific challenge.