Projects / Programmes
Remote sensing of atmospheric properties
January 1, 2014
- December 31, 2019
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.02.04 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physics |
Meteorology and oceanography |
| 1.06.05 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Geology |
Geophysics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T181 |
Technological sciences |
Remote sensing |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.03 |
Natural Sciences |
Physical sciences |
| 1.05 |
Natural Sciences |
Earth and related Environmental sciences |
Researchers (14)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
1540 |
University of Nova Gorica |
Nova Gorica |
5920884000 |
14,072 |
Abstract
The medium which surrounds the Earth up to an altitude of several thousand kilometers is generally referred to as the atmosphere and consists of gases and suspended microscopic particles (aerosols). Its innermost part, the troposphere, contains approximately 80% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapor and aerosols and is the most relevant for our daily life through climate, weather and air pollution. Its upper ionized part, the ionosphere, extending from about 85 km to 600 km is becoming increasingly important due to our growing dependence on space-based telecommunication and navigation systems.
The primary aim of the proposed programme is to investigate atmospheric processes using remote sensing techniques, necessary for the study of a medium that is not directly accessible, that provide continuous real time measurements of all layers of the atmosphere. In addition, in contrast to classical tools like meteorological balloons, remote sensing techniques offer scanning capabilities and thus two- and three-dimensional imaging.
In the case of the troposphere, in particular the atmospheric boundary layer which directly interacts with the surface of the earth and which has the most significant effect on us, we propose that its properties may be investigated through the use of various types of ground-based lidars and space-based radio signals. Lidars and dual frequency GPS stations can provide information on various atmospheric properties, such as temperature, humidity, total water content, wind speed and direction, aerosol loading and type of the suspended particles. As water vapor is the Earth's most important and abundant greenhouse gas and the aerosols were found to have a considerable impact on climate, weather and human health, such measurements are of great importance both for the scientific community as well as in a broader context.
In the case of the ionosphere, irregularities in the electron plasma density on all scales can, in particular in combination with geomagnetic storms and increased solar wind conditions, cause severe fluctuations in the amplitudes and phases of trans-ionospheric radio signals due to refractive scattering, and possibly leading to severe performance degradation of satellite based navigation, telecommunication services and Earth observation systems. The study and understanding of ionospheric processes is therefore of great importance for science, but also from the commercial and the military point of view.
The direct goals of the proposed programme are detailed investigations of tropospheric and ionospheric properties and processes, in particular aerosol transport, correlations between water vapor and aerosol content, remote identification of aerosol types, effects of plasma density irregularities on the propagation of trans-ionospheric signals and their mitigation as well as investigation of these process under solar maximum conditions in 2012-2013. These goals will be reached using the existing infrastructure and research equipment (Section 23) together with new acquisitions funded by current EU projects and the national infrastructure programme.
Significance for science
The proposed research programme, the main goal of which is to investigate the atmosphere using remote sensing techniques, is aiming to improve the understanding of a wide variety of underlying processes (from the fields of aerodynamics, heat transfer, meteorology, climatology, propagation of waves in random media and space weather) in a media which, due to its inaccessibility to in-situ measurements, remains relatively poorly understood. The proposed programme in this way represents a direct and relevant contribution to the advancement of science.
In addition to the direct contributions to the atmospheric sciences, it will also greatly contribute to research and development in the rapidly growing field of remote sensing by providing novel detection and analysis techniques as well as the actual detection devices. The proposed activities will take place at the Center for Atmospheric Research of the University of Nova Gorica, which is at present the only Slovenian institution that has achieved international recognition in this field.
The proposed programme is strongly integrated in the global research endeavor in atmospheric sciences, as well as in instrumentation, with informal and project-based links to competent partners from the USA (The University of Iowa, MIT Haystack Observatory), Brazil (Universidade Estadual Paulista), China (Ocean University of China, Xi'an University of Technology) and EU countries (INGV, Italy; University of Bath, UK; EISCAT, Sweeden, Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory, University of Oulu, Finland), including Slovenia (Slovenian Environmental Agency, J. Stefan Institute). Furthermore, the research programme and the relevance of its findings for the utilisation of the atmosphere as a detection media in astroparticle physics experiments will also greatly benefit the Pierre Auger Collaboration, in which the University of Nova Gorica is a full member together with more than 50 institutions from 18 countries.
Significance for the country
Direct impact of the proposed programme on the economy and society arises through the possibility of a transfer of knowledge and state-of-the-art technologies to Slovenia for commercial use and public service, a task which we have been actively pursuing since the establishment of the Center for Atmospheric Research at the University of Nova Gorica.
As an example, a direct spin-off of the basic research activities at the Pierre Auger Observatory, where the programme leader participates (characterization of the atmosphere as the main detector media using Lidar technology, timing of the ground detector array using GPS signals) was the construction (together with Slovenian Environmental Agency) of the first lidar observatory site in Slovenia at Otlica in 2005, which among others successfully tracked and characterized Icelandic volcanic ash in 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. We independently developed a Raman lidar system (with US and Chinese collaboration partners from The University of Iowa, Ocean University of China and Xi'an University of Technology) for the remote profiling of water vapor concentrations in the atmosphere, and in additional collaboration with the Slovenian companies Optotek and Fotona we have also developed a mobile lidar for aerosol tracking and identification. In collaboration with the University of Bath in the UK and the EISCAT collaboration in Sweden we are also investigating the impact of ionospheric perturbations on GPS and the possibilities of their mitigation, which may be of considerable importance in the times of the coming solar maximum. All these devices provide not only scientific results but also results with a broader impact on society. At the present we are in the negotiation phase with business partners (Robotina) to transfer this knowledge and technology into products for commercial use. These activities will be expanded and intensfied in the scope of the proposed project.
As an indirect impact of the proposed programme on society we highlight the active and competitive participation of Slovenian researchers and students in these leading-edge global research activities; success of this and other such projects will help ensure the recognition of Slovenia as a high technology oriented country, which would further stimulate and promote international scientific, economical and financial cooperation.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2014,
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2014,
2015,
final report
