Operate an ARS NF

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Be ACTRIS

ACTRIS is a research infrastructure built up and operated by member states. In order to be an ACTRIS aerosol remote sensing National Facility:

  • Your country must join ACTRIS
  • Your country must offer your facility as a candidate National Facility and nominate the PI
  • Your facility must obtain the “aerosol remote sensing” certificate as a result of the official ACTRIS labelling process

1. Become an ACTRIS candidate NF

The PI of the candidate National Facility requests to ACTRIS Head Office to register the NF into the ACTRIS NF labelling portal

Details

The PI of the candidate National Facility inputs general information into the ACTRIS NF labelling portal

Details

2. Become an aerosol remote sensing ACTRIS NF

The PI of the candidate National Facility nominates the aerosol remote sensing PI into the ACTRIS NF labelling portal
  • The PI of the candidate National Facility nominates the aerosol remote sensing PI into the ACTRIS NF labelling portal
  • The aerosol remote sensing PI informs CARS that the facility is ready
The aerosol remote sensing PI participates to the technical evaluation in view of initial acceptance
  • CARS invites the aerosol remote sensing PI to create its user into the CARS workflow management portal (CARPORT) – the PI will receive an email from carport@inoe.ro with instructions on how to create his/her user
  • CARS invites the aerosol remote sensing PI to input technical information about the instruments into CARPORT – the PI will connect to CARPORT with his/her user and follow the necessary steps, up to the submission of application
  • CARS experts review the application and issue a preliminary report, containing recommendations to be followed for meeting the requirements – the PI will receive an email from carport@inoe.ro when the preliminary report is issued
  • The aerosol remote sensing PI uploads the upgrade plan to CARPORT
  • The PI of the National Facility uploads the same upgrade plan to the ACTRIS NF labelling portal
  • CARS issues the final technical evaluation report
  • The RI Comm approves the certificate for the initial acceptance of the aerosol remote sensing facility
The PI of the candidate National Facility submits the commitment letter for the aerosol remote sensing component into the ACTRIS NF labelling portal

Details

3. Start the operations

Register the instruments to the data processing chains
  • Automatic Sun/sky/lunar Photometer (ASP)
    • For new photometer stations
      • Contact CARS (Philippe Goloub) to register the photometer – you will be informed on the photometer station ID
    • For existing photometer station
      • No action needed
  • Aerosol High-power Lidar (AHL)
    • For new lidar stations
      • Contact ARES (Lucia Mona) to register the lidar(s) – you will be informed on the lidar station ID and lidar ID
      • Connect to the Single Calculus Chain (SCC) and fill in the lidar Handbook for the corresponding lidar station ID and lidar ID
      • Prepare the necessary tools for automatic submission of the lidar data to the SCC (or use OBIWAN)
      • Create in the SCC interface various configurations for your lidar data processing, use them to process lidar raw data and check the outputs from the Single Calculus Chain
      • Choose one set of configurations (daytime/nighttime, as applicable for your lidar) that work best for your lidar as “operational configurations” and use the corresponding configuration IDs when submitting the first lidar QA tests
    • For existing lidar stations
      • If you already have operational configurations which are locked for editing, use the corresponding IDs when submitting the lidar QA tests to CARS – depending on the results of the tests, you may be asked to create new operational configurations, or the validity period for the existing ones will be extended
  • Automatic Low-power lidar and Ceilometers
    • For new ceilometer stations
      • ….
    • For existing ceilometer stations
      • …
Calibrate the instruments
  • Automatic Sun/sky/lunar Photometer (ASP)
    • If your photometer is new or not calibrated in the last year, CARS-ASP will ask you to send the instrument for calibration
    • If your photometer is operational and calibrated, no action needed
  • Aerosol High-power Lidar (AHL)
    • If your set of operational configurations is not set and locked (not valid)
      • Perform and submit to CARS the lidar QA tests according to the AHL Standard Quality Assurance Procedures, using the preferred set of configuration IDs (see above)- CARS will issue a preliminary QA test report
        • If there are instrumental problems highlighted in the QA test report, contact CARS for follow-up actions to optimize the performances of the lidar
        • As soon as the problems are solved, submit to CARS a new set of lidar QA tests – CARS will issue a new preliminary QA test report
      • Adjust the parameters in the preferred set of configurations according to the preliminary lidar QA test report
      • Inform CARS and ARES that the lidar operational configurations are set (include the IDs) and can be validated and locked
    • If your set of operational configurations is set and locked (valid)
      • Perform and submit to CARS the lidar QA tests according to the AHL Standard Quality Assurance Procedures, using the existing operational configuration IDs- CARS will issue a preliminary QA test report
        • If there are instrumental problems highlighted in the QA test report, contact CARS for follow-up actions to optimize the performances of the lidar
        • As soon as the problems are solved, submit to CARS a new set of lidar QA tests – CARS will issue a new preliminary QA test report
      • Compare the parameter’s values in the operational configurations versus the ones in the lidar QA report
        • If there are significant differences, create new operational configurations (use the SCC import-export tool) and inform CARS and ARES about the new IDs
        • If the differences are not significant, inform CARS and ARES to extend the validity period of the existing operational configurations
    • Automatic Low-power lidar and ceilometer
Perform the measurements
  • Automatic Sun/sky/lunar Photometer (ASP)
    • Install the photometer and start the continuous automatic operations according to the ASP Standard Operation Procedures
    • Inspect the photometer data products regularly
      • Inform CARS if the quality of the photometer data products is systematically not good – CARS will instruct you on the actions to be taken
  • Aerosol High-power Lidar (AHL)
    • Operate the lidar according to the Measurement guidelines and to the AHL Standard Operation Procedures
    • Check the performances of the lidar regularly by applying the QA tests according to the AHL Standard Quality Assurance Procedures
      • Inform CARS as soon as the performances of the instruments change – CARS will instruct you on the actions to be taken
    • Submit the raw lidar data to the SCC, using the validated operational configurations
    • Inspect the lidar data products and flags in the SCC output
      • Inform CARS and ARES if the quality of the data products is systematically not good – CARS and/or ARES will instruct you on the actions to be taken
  • Automatic Low-power lidar and Ceilometer (ALC)
    • Install the ceilometer and start the continuous automatic operations according to the ALC Standard Operation Procedures
    • Inspect the ceilometer data products regularly
      • Inform CARS if the quality of the ceilometer data products is systematically not good – CARS will instruct you on the actions to be taken

4. Fulfill the commitments

Collect measurements
  • Run the instruments according to standard operation procedures
  • Submit data to the processing chains according to the measurement guidelines
Participate to the QA rounds
  • Calibrate your photometer annually, when called by CARS-ASP
  • Perform and submit the lidar QA tests annually, when called by CARS-AHL
Request for additional support if needed
  • Contact CARS if your instrument is not performing well – CARS will schedule an audit or a direct comparison
  • Ask for consultancy if you intend to buy a new instrument or to upgrade the existing one – CARS will schedule remote or in person meetings to advise you
  • Ask for specific training if your team is not sufficiently experienced or is facing difficulties in implementing the operation and quality assurance procedures and tools – CARS will schedule remote or in person training sessions
Participate to CARS events
  • Participate to monthly webinars, as announced
  • Participate to the annual Aerosol Remote Sensing workshops
  • Send your young scientists and operators to the hands-on schools organized and announced by CARS
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