Stachlewska et al. (2026) EarthCARE dry-run demonstration with EMORAL lidar

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-09
• Authors: I.S. Stachlewska, A. Hafiz, G. Georgoussis, V. Freudenthaler, R. Fortuna, Z. Rykowska, M. Karasewicz, P. Poczta, V. Amiridis, D. Nicolae
• DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/202636201027/pdf

Research Groups

• Opto-Electronics section (TEC-MME) at the European Space Research and Technology (ESTEC) of the European Space Agency (ESA)
• University of Warsaw (RS-Lab Team)
• National Observatory of Athens
• Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
• Raymetrics (private sector)
• Licel (private sector)
• Innolas (private sector)

Short Summary

This paper details the development and characterization of the ESA Mobile Raman Lidar (EMORAL), a state-of-the-art ground-based system designed for near-real-time atmospheric profiling and Cal/Val missions. The EMORAL lidar, with its new functionalities and demonstrated capability to collect quality-assured data across diverse environments, is positioned as a core ESA asset for upcoming EarthCARE Cal/Val activities.

Objective

• To develop, characterize, and demonstrate the advanced functionalities of the ESA Mobile Raman Lidar (EMORAL) for near-real-time atmospheric profiling.
• To establish EMORAL as a state-of-the-art ground-based system for Cal/Val missions, particularly for the upcoming EarthCARE mission.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Vertical atmospheric profiles from ground-based stations across diverse environments (urban, industrial, peatland, rural, mountainous).
• Temporal Scale: Campaign-based measurements with near-real-time data processing capabilities.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not applicable; the study focuses on the development and characterization of an observational instrument and its data acquisition capabilities.
• Data sources: Direct measurements from the EMORAL lidar system, providing high-level data products including broadband fluorescence, water vapor, wavelength-dependent polarization, backscattering, and extinction coefficients.

Main Results

• The EMORAL lidar has been successfully developed as a state-of-the-art ground-based system for near-real-time atmospheric profiling.
• New functionalities include broadband fluorescence and water vapor measurements, alongside wavelength-dependent polarization, backscattering, and extinction coefficients observations.
• The system has collected exclusive sets of quality-assured high-level data products during campaigns in various environments (urban, industrial, peatland, rural, mountainous).
• EMORAL is foreseen to serve as a core ESA asset for upcoming EarthCARE Cal/Val activities.

Contributions

• Development and operationalization of the ESA Mobile Raman Lidar (EMORAL) with advanced, state-of-the-art functionalities for atmospheric profiling.
• Demonstration of the EMORAL lidar's capability to provide near-real-time, quality-assured atmospheric data products across a wide range of environments.
• Establishment of a robust ground-based system for Cal/Val missions, significantly contributing to future satellite mission validation efforts, such as EarthCARE.
• Successful collaborative R&D effort involving multiple research organizations and private sector companies.

Funding

• The Opto-Electronics section (TEC-MME) at the European Space Research and Technology (ESTEC) of the European Space Agency (ESA) invested into the ESA Mobile Raman Lidar (EMORAL).

Citation

@article{Stachlewska2026EarthCARE,
  author = {Stachlewska, I.S. and Hafiz, A. and Georgoussis, G. and Freudenthaler, V. and Fortuna, R. and Rykowska, Z. and Karasewicz, M. and Poczta, P. and Amiridis, V. and Nicolae, D.},
  title = {EarthCARE dry-run demonstration with EMORAL lidar},
  journal = {Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1051/epjconf/202636201027/pdf},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202636201027/pdf}
}