| Atmospheric pollution due to particulate matter (PM) is a continuing issue in many parts of Cyprus. The AIRSPACE project aims at developing a novel methodology based on in-situ observations and multi-platform retrievals, as a tool for monitoring air particulate pollution. High quality PM monitoring at a fine spatial and temporal resolution is required by decision making authorities for taking proper measures and to inform the general public. Observations from Lidar and sun-photometer, satellite AOT retrievals and PM10 - PM2.5 concentrations are considered. Relations between AOT measured from sun-photometers and Lidar aand AOT retrieved from the MODIS sensor are established. A direct comparison between the AOT values retrieved from MODIS and the CIMEL sun-photometer (part of the AERONET NASA Network, which is established at the Cyprus University of Technology) are performed. Finally, the results are coupled with simulations performed by an atmospheric/ chemical model (WRFChem), in order to gain in-depth information of the air pollution situation in Cyprus.
The members of the ‘AIRSPACE’ Project are: D. G. Hadjimitsis, A. Nisantzi, A. Agapiou, K. Themistocleous, M. Panayiotou [Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Remote Sensing Laboratory, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus], S. Michaelides, F. Tymvios, D. Charalambous [Cyprus Meteorological Service], A. Retalis, D. Paronis [National Observatory of Athens], P. Koutrakis, J. S. Evans [Harvard University] and S. Perdikou [Frederick Research Centre, Cyprus].
The project is funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation. |