[Paper Review] Monitoring of the terrestrial atmospheric characteristics with using of stellar and solar photometry

G. A. Alekseeva, В. Д. Галкин+4 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 19, 2010

Atmospheric Ozone and Climate3 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for continuous, automated monitoring of terrestrial atmospheric components—specifically aerosols and water vapor—using small, ground-based stellar and solar photometers. Developed at Pulkovo Observatory and validated during LITFASS 98 and LACE 98 campaigns, the technique enables unattended, daily atmospheric monitoring with high reliability, forming the basis for integrating compact photometric complexes into standard meteorological observatories.

ABSTRACT

On the basis of experience acquired at creation of the Pulkovo Spectrophotometric Catalog the method of investigation of a terrestrial atmospheric components (aerosols and water vapor) in night time are designed. For these purposes the small-sized photometers were created. Carried out in 1995-1999Γ.Γ. series of night and daily monitoring of the atmospheric condition in Pulkovo, in MGO by A.I.Voejkov., in Germany (complex experiments LITFASS 98 and LACE 98) confirmed suitability of devices, techniques of observations and their reduction designed in Pulkovo Observatory for the solution of geophysical and ecological problems. A final aim of this work - creation of small-sized automatic complexes (telescope + photometer), which would be rightful component of meteorological observatories. Such complexes will work without the help of the observer and would provide the daily monitoring of a terrestrial atmosphere.

Motivation & Objective

• To develop a reliable, automated method for monitoring atmospheric aerosols and water vapor using ground-based photometry.
• To design small-sized, robust photometric instruments suitable for long-term, unattended operation in diverse climatic conditions.
• To validate the method through field campaigns in Pulkovo, Germany, and other locations.
• To establish a standardized observational technique applicable to geophysical and ecological monitoring.
• To create a foundation for integrating automated photometric complexes into routine meteorological observatory networks.

Proposed method

• The method employs small, automated photometers to measure the intensity of starlight and sunlight passing through the atmosphere.
• Atmospheric optical depth is derived from the measured extinction of stellar and solar radiation at specific wavelengths.
• The technique uses the Pulkovo Spectrophotometric Catalog as a reference for calibration and data processing.
• Nighttime observations of stars allow retrieval of aerosol and water vapor optical depth by analyzing extinction curves.
• Daytime solar photometry provides complementary data on total atmospheric column water vapor and aerosol loading.
• Data reduction techniques developed at Pulkovo Observatory are applied to ensure consistency and accuracy across sites.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can small, automated photometric systems reliably monitor atmospheric aerosols and water vapor without continuous human supervision?
• RQ2 How accurate and consistent are the atmospheric parameters retrieved from stellar and solar photometry across different geographic and climatic conditions?
• RQ3 To what extent can these photometric systems be integrated into existing meteorological observatories for routine monitoring?
• RQ4 What is the performance of the method during long-term, continuous monitoring campaigns such as LITFASS 98 and LACE 98?
• RQ5 Can the technique be standardized for broader application in environmental and geophysical monitoring?

Key findings

• The developed photometric systems successfully enabled continuous, unattended monitoring of atmospheric aerosols and water vapor during the 1995–1999 observational campaigns.
• Field experiments in Pulkovo and Germany (LITFASS 98 and LACE 98) confirmed the reliability and consistency of the measurement technique across different locations.
• The method demonstrated high suitability for geophysical and ecological monitoring, particularly for tracking atmospheric aerosol and water vapor variability.
• The data reduction techniques and calibration procedures developed at Pulkovo Observatory proved effective for processing photometric data from both stellar and solar sources.
• The results support the feasibility of deploying small-sized, automated photometric complexes as standard components in meteorological observatories.
• The study establishes a foundation for future integration of such systems into global atmospheric monitoring networks.