PICS2013-2015 France-Ukraine Aerosol/Water Vapor/Ozone project


Aerosols, water vapor and ozone impacts on Ukraine regional climate

Main task of the PICS project was providing measurements and receiving data on temporal and spatial distribution and properties of aerosol over Ukraine by up-to-date ground-based equipment пїЅ sun/sky photometers CE318 of AERONET/PHOTONS network, atmosphere LiDAR CE370. The monitoring of total ozone column and ozone altitude distribution (Dobson spectrophotometer) and precipitable water vaporпїЅ (CE318) have been provided at Kyiv/Kyiv-Goloseyev site. One of the high priority tasks was LiDAR measurements of aerosol altitude distribution and properties done with assistance of collaboration with LOA of Lille1 University пїЅ the French collaborator of the PICS project.

For the first time the season variation peculiarities of aerosol, ozone and precipitable water vapor parameters have been revealed in the atmosphere over Ukraine. The LiDAR measurements in the aerosol altitude distribution over Kyiv site have been undertaken for the first time as well.

The concept on aerosol height profiles, aerosol layer thickness, its dynamics in various weather conditions have been obtained owing to the case of using LOA LiDAR CIMEL CE370-2 in the Ukraine campaign. The aerosol radiative forcing has been calculated at Top-Of-Atmosphere according Kyiv AERONET and LiDAR measurements using AERONET algorithm and GAME software, separately. In average the regional aerosol radiative forcing is negative (пїЅ6 ÷ пїЅ40 W/m2). Aerosol is cooling generally the atmosphere over Kyiv, however during winter month the radiative forcing became positive (atmosphere heating, +2 ÷ +15 W/m2).

The PICS project fulfillment allows to obtain high quality experience to prepare the scientific instruments for Ukrainian space mission Aerosol-UA.




CRDF 2969 Aerosol project

Atmospheric aerosols over Ukraine studied by combining ground-based measurements and satellite data

The main purpose of the project and objectives:

The main goal of the project is to monitor spatial and temporal aerosol distributions over Ukraine during 2010пїЅ12 using ground-based and satellite (PARASOL) remote sensing methods and establish a long-term open-access database facilitating continuous control of air quality and monitoring of climate changes.

Main reasons for the aerosol study:

(1) aerosol impact on air quality and human health
(2) aerosol interactions with clouds affecting cloud formation and evolution
(3) aerosol impact on climate through direct and indirect effects

Aerosols change the atmospheric transparency to the direct solar radiation, thereby causing a direct radiative forcing, and also alter cloud formation processes by increasing droplet and ice-particle number concentrations and influencing precipitation efficiency, therefore causing an indirect radiative forcing. The control over aerosol pollution of the atmosphere is important not only because of possible effects on weather and climate but also because of the negative influence on the biosphere and human health.

Project PI: Dr Gennadi Milinevsky, Head of Laboratory, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
Project US PI: Dr Mikhail Mishchenko, Senior Scientist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Project participants:
Vassyl Danylevsky, Researcher, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
Iryna Mishchyshyna, Researcher, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
Valentyn Bovchaliuk, Student, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
Andrii Voshchepynets, Student, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
Mykhailo Sosonkin, Head of Laboratory, Main Astronomical Observatory
Andrii Bovchaliuk, PhD Student, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University

Non-Project Collaborator:
Volodymyr Voytenko, Docent, Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Lugansk

Project timeline:
November 15, 2010 - November 15, 2012