INSTRUMENTS ,

The Atmospheric Research and Instrumentation Area, belonging to the Earth Observation, Teledetection and Atmosphere Department of the National Aerospace Technique Institute (INTA), performs research into the chemistry and dynamics of the earth’s atmosphere, and in particular in the field of stratospheric ozone. In the year 2001 INTA acquired an MPL-type micro-lidar with the aim of installing it in the island of Tenerife to quantify the impact of Saharan absorbent aerosols on satellite spectrometers that operate with backscattered nadir radiation in the UV range. This activity forms part of the European project of the Sixth Framework Programme SCOUT-O3 (505390-GOCE-CT-2004) and the TROMPETA project of the National Research and Development Plan (CGL2004-03669) (Gil et al., 2006). The lidar is permanently installed on the terrace of the premises of the Izaña Observatory (INM) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife thanks to an INM-INTA Agreement. In 2005 the lidar was automated for continuous operation (24h/24h 365 days a year) and was accepted by NASA for incorporation into the network MPLNET of which it forms part. As added-value goals, the results will make it possible to establish a climatology of aerosols (mainly Saharan) and cloud distribution in the Canary Islands. The lidar of the INM-INTA is based on an Nd:YLF laser at 523 nm. Modulated at 2.5 KHz and with a pulse duration of 10-100 ns, it makes it possible to obtain a vertical profile each minute. The optic is based on a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope of 20 cm diameter which acts as transmitter and receiver. The detector is an avalanche photodiode operating in photon-counter mode. MPLNET performs a preliminary processing in quasi-real time (every night), the results of which are presented in the website. Alternatively, the INTA performs a parallel processing in observation campaigns or episodes of interest.