Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research, University of Granada
The UGR participates as an Observational Platform with its Granada station in the components: Aerosol In-situ (CAIS), Aerosol Remote Sensing (ARS) and Cloud Remote Sensing.
The University of Granada (UGR), founded in 1531, is one of the largest and most important universities in Spain and offers one of the widest and most diverse range of higher education programmes in Spain. The University of Granada, UGR, operates the Andalusian Global Atmosphere Observatory (AGORA), located in southern Spain, and includes several experimental sites. A summary description is included below in the dedicated section.
Significant Infrastructures
The main research activities at AGORA focus on the study of the atmosphere, the Earth’s surface and their interactions using remote sensing and in-situ techniques. AGORA combines complementary stations with different atmospheric conditions, high degree of expertise and many facilities providing an ideal environment for a wide range of aerosol research, from urban to remote background conditions. AGORA favours integrated studies by using a broad range of instrumentation from active and passive remote sensing to a variety of in-situ methodologies. The location of the installations in the most meridional sector of the European continent near the African coast allows a detailed analysis of the Saharan dust prior to be mixed in highly polluted areas of Europe and the use of a high mountain stations allow the detection of the impact of the anthropogenic aerosol (originated at the metropolitan area of Granada) contribution modulated for the daily and seasonal cycle of the Planetary Boundary Layer. AGORA, due to its location at the slopes of Sierra Nevada Mountains, offers a unique combination of remote sounding and in-situ techniques at different elevations, which is an added value for validation of vertical profiles of aerosol and cloud microphysical properties retrieved by inversion of remote sensing data acquired at the valley level and for PBL-free troposphere interactions studies.
The main research activities at AGORA focus on the study of the atmosphere, the Earth’s surface and their interactions using remote sensing and in-situ techniques. AGORA combines complementary stations with different atmospheric conditions, high degree of expertise and many facilities providing an ideal environment for a wide range of aerosol research, from urban to remote background conditions. AGORA favours integrated studies by using a broad range of instrumentation from active and passive remote sensing to a variety of in-situ methodologies. The location of the installations in the most meridional sector of the European continent near the African coast allows a detailed analysis of the Saharan dust prior to be mixed in highly polluted areas of Europe and the use of a high mountain stations allow the detection of the impact of the anthropogenic aerosol (originated at the metropolitan area of Granada) contribution modulated for the daily and seasonal cycle of the Planetary Boundary Layer. AGORA, due to its location at the slopes of Sierra Nevada Mountains, offers a unique combination of remote sounding and in-situ techniques at different elevations, which is an added value for validation of vertical profiles of aerosol and cloud microphysical properties retrieved by inversion of remote sensing data acquired at the valley level and for PBL-free troposphere interactions studies.
Responsible
Lucas Alados Arboledas