European Project supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme (H2020-INFRAIA-2014-2015) from 1 May 2015 to 30 April 2019.

The ACTRIS-2 Integrating Activities (IA) addresses the scope of integrating state-of-the-art European ground-based stations for long-term observations of aerosols, clouds and short lived gases. It consolidates and improves services offered within FP7 funded Integrated Infrastructures Initiative ACTRIS (2011-2015). ACTRIS-2 takes up the overarching objectives of ACTRIS to further integrate the European ground-based stations and to construct a user-oriented RI, unique in the EU-RI landscape, for aerosols, clouds, and short-lived gas-phase species.

ACTRIS-2 responds to user needs:

• To maintain and increase availability of long-term observational data relevant to climate and airquality research on the regional scale produced with standardized or comparable procedures throughout the ACTRIS network of stations;
• To further develop and disseminate integration tools to fully exploit the use of multiple atmospheric techniques at ground-based stations, in particular for the calibration/validation/integration of satellite sensors and for the improvement of the parameterizations used in global and regional-scale climate and air-quality models;
• To open calibration facilities and advanced observing platforms to Trans-National Access to the benefit of a large user community, including SMEs, and to further facilitate virtual access to high quality information, tools and services enhancing the ACTRIS Data Centre;
• To maintain and enhance capacity of training in the field of atmospheric observations particularly directed to new users including those from non-EU developing countries;
• To increase the Technology Readiness Level of technologies for atmospheric observation of aerosols, clouds, and trace gases in close partnership with EU SMEs associated to the project.
• To develop a sustainable strategy for maintaining ACTRIS-services in the long-term, improving synergies with all relevant research infrastructures in the field of environmental sciences and coordination with national strategies in the EU.

ACTRIS-2 will represent a fundamental step towards the establishment of the atmospheric component of the Integrated European Observing System and a clear upgrade in services offered to users.

The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is engaged in ACTRIS-2 through the Trans National Access to its atmospheric infrastructures (Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory; http://www.cyi.ac.cy/index.php/cao.html) and the provision of quality controlled atmospheric data for Cyprus. CyI will perform joined research activities on improving the accuracy of aerosol light absorption determinations. It will test novel miniaturized (black carbon) instruments and deploy them on board its UAVs during several field campaigns to contribute to aerosol optical closure studies between remote sensing and in-situ absorption retrievals.

Contacts:
Prof Jean Sciare,   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel. +357 222 08700 +357 222 08 675

Prof Mihalis Vrekoussis, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel. +357 22208700 +357 22208698