EARLINET and the international ChArMEx and PEGASOS measurement campaigns in summer 2012

Two international measurement campaigns are planned for the summer 2012: ChArMEx (The Chemistry- Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment) pre-campaign planned from June 8 to July 12 and PEGASOS (Pan- European Gas-AeroSOls-climate interaction Study) campaign using the Zeppelin airship planned in two phases from June 8 to July 2 in Po-valley and France and possibly Eastern Europe and 3-9 July over Bologna and surrounding regions [http:// http://charmex.lsce.ipsl.fr/; http://pegasos.iceht.forth.gr/].
On the one hand, the main objective of the ChArMEx pre-campaign is the characterization of dynamic processes of exportation of contaminated air masses from source regions around the Mediterranean coast and the quantification of the exchanges between the boundary layer and the free troposphere above the Mediterranean Basin. On the other hand, PEGASOS campaign goal is to provide detailed measurements of HOx, trace gases and aerosols throughout the PBL in certain regions. The main focus of the campaign is the boundary layer chemistry (0-3000 m). EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) is also planning
an intensive measurement campaign from June 8 to July 17 in coordination with the PEGASOS campaign. The main focus of the EMEP intensive campaign in 2012 is aerosols in terms of PM and chemical speciation (EC/OC, inorganic aerosols and minerals).
Besides measurements performed by EARLINET (www.earlinet.org) stations accordingly to EARLINET schedule, additional measurements will be performed at certain sites during these international campaigns accordingly to specific atmospheric conditions and in support to aircraft measurements. EARLINET lidar measurements will provide the needed additional information about aerosol vertical profiling and aerosol typing. Furthermore some EARLINET stations will participate in an exercise of lidar data assimilation in an air quality model.