PROJECT TITLE: Clouds and Aerosols Profiling in support of ESA’s Sentinel 4 and 5 missions — CAPESA

Coordinator: National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics 

Partners: National Institute for Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli“

Period: 19 November 2012 – 18 November 2015

Project director: Doina Nicolae

Project team:

INOE (ground-based ARS) – 9 members:

• Doina Nicolae, Dr., Physicist, coordinator
• Camelia Talianu, Dr., Mathematician, algorithms
• Anca Nemuc, Dr., Physicist, aerosol physics, data correlation
• Jeni Vasilescu, Dr., Physicist, data processing (AMS)
• Livio Belegante, Dr., Engineer, Physicist, data processing (lidar)
• Emil Carstea, Dr.,Physicist, lidar measurements
• Cristian Radu, Engineer, electronic engineering
• Luminita Marmureanu, Dr., biologist, in situ measurements (AMS)
• Florica Toanca, PhD St., Marketing, visibility

INCAS (airborne ARS) – 9 members:

• Andreea Boscornea, PhD Student, Physicist, team leader
• Paula (Mursa) Anca, PhD Student, Engineer, GIS
• Catalin Nae, Dr., Engineer, aerospace engineering
• Valentin Butoescu, Dr., Engineer, fluid dynamics
• Sorin Vajaiac, PhD St., Physicist, cloud physics
• Octavian Carp, PhD St., airborne topographic lidar
• Stefan Bogos, Dr., aerodynamics, payload
• Sever Moisoiu, Engineer, aerospace engineering
• Dan Turcanu, Engineer, aerospace engineering

Description: CAPESA addresses several weaknesses of the atmospheric science in Romania:

• Poor coordination – consolidating the ARS community (meetings, consortia, exchange of expertise,)
• Lack of specialization – training of a new generation of scientists (summer school, field campaigns, workshop)
• Weak international implication – participation to international campaigns (EMEP, ACTRIS, CALIPSO)
• Low degree of integration in European networks and infrastructures – application to ICOS, IAGOS, ACTRIS ESFRI

Project objectives:

• O1. Adjusting existing research capacities (human and material resources) to the requirements of European research infrastructures for ARS (EARLINET, AERONET, ICOS, IAGOS, ACTRIS)
• O2. Demonstration of Romanian research potential by participating to international campaigns to study aerosols, precursors, clouds and interactions
• O3. Assessment of the potential use of UAV platforms to calibrate, validate and supplement ground-based in situ measurements
• O4. Promotion, integration and sustainability of Romanian research capacities as part of European infrastructures for ARS

Activities:

• WP1: Preparation for integration to european ARS infrastructures
• WP2: Contribution to international databases and campaigns
• WP3: Scientific niches in the field of ARS
• WP4: Visibility and integration
• WP5: Project management

Contributions to the STAR programme objectives:

• CAL-VAL of satellite products (ground-based remote sensors)
• Data provider for correlative studies (in situ & ground-based remote sensors)
• Data user for correlative studies
• Science 

Homepage: