Worldwide atmospheric measurements to determine the role of atmospheric fine particles in climate change

The Finnish Meteorological Institute in Helsinki, Finland, will host the first annual meeting of the European Integrated Project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality Interactions, EUCAARI, headed by Academy Professor Markku Kulmala, on 19–22 November 2007. The purpose of EUCAARI is to significantly improve current knowledge of the impact of fine particles in the atmosphere on climate and air quality.

The first year of the project was dedicated to developing state-of-the-art aerosol measuring equipment, establishing a global network of measuring stations, and planning. The measuring period, beginning next spring, will collect data on European air through both ground-based and airborne measurements simultaneously.

During the past year, this EU-wide research project has developed an extremely sensitive measuring device for aerosols, allowing for reliable measurements of particles less than 3 nanometres across. Such a development in measuring technology will play a key role when solving the physical and chemical questions of aerosol generation and formation, and has already enabled significant, recently-published new observations on the quantity of particles less than 3 nm in size.

The past few months have also seen the establishment of a global measuring station network for EUCAARI. Stations have been established in Brazil, South Africa, China, and India. They cover measurement areas that are geographically important for the monitoring of air pollution. For example, the Brazilian station is located in the rainforest region, and the South African station in the savannah area. The stations will start operating from the beginning of 2008. In addition to the University of Helsinki, the Finnish Meteorological Institute plays a key role in running the observation stations and planning the infrastructure.

Next May, a new, month-long measuring period will begin. During that time, the atmosphere above Europe will be observed simultaneously from both ground-based and aircraft-borne equipment. The data-gathering flights will move across Europe in various directions. This will provide measuring data on, for example, the development of aerosol quantities at various altitudes in the atmosphere, and trace the long-range migration of air masses and various kinds of pollution. The month-long measurement period is part of a wider 15-month (1 March 2008–31 May 2009) intensive EUCAARI ground-based measurement campaign involving measuring stations in and outside Europe. The University of Helsinki’s Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station will contribute to this intensive period by providing ground-based measurements.

The four-year long EUCAARI was launched in January 2007, and will end in December 2010. The total budget of EUCAARI, currently the largest aerosol project in Europe, is €15 million, 10 million of which is covered by the European Union. The project employs researchers from 25 different countries.