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Project Code [2011-CCRP-FS-5.1]

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Project title

Research Support for Mace Head: Instrumentation, Data Systems and Analysis, CLOUDNET

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)

Lead Applicant

Giovanni Martucci

Project Abstract

Aerosols can modify the Earth�s radiative balance through their direct and indirect effects. The direct effect involves scatter and absorption of radiation from aerosols, the indirect effect is how aerosols modify the properties of clouds through a subset of aerosols called cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Increased CCN concentrations often lead to increased cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC) that increases, in turn, the cloud albedo. This effect modifies the cloud lifetime and the atmospheric cooling/warming. Cloud properties can be observed by a lidar-ceilometer, a microwave profiler and a mm cloud radar. Output data can be elaborated by the CLOUDNET suite which provides the cloud microphysics. Instrumentation and CLOUDNET facility will be used to achieve the project main goals, i.e. the description of cloud microphysics, the evaluation of satellite cloud products and the evaluation and improvement of climate and weather forecast models.

Grant Approved

�145,748.86

Research Hub

Climate Change

Research Theme

Cross-cutting issues, data and observation systems

Start Date

01/07/2011

Initial Projected Completion Date

01/07/2012