This special issue consists of papers that describe the modelling, observations, and analysis of data related to the ACROSS (Atmospheric Chemistry of the Suburban Forest) field measurement campaign that took place in summer 2022 in the Paris region. It could also include papers describing new instrumentation or new instrumental configurations used during the campaign. Any papers directly related to the ACROSS project are welcome for submittal to this special issue.

The climate crisis is one of the grand challenges of the 21st century. The increase in Earth's surface temperature, commonly known as global warming or anthropogenically induced climate change, is primarily driven by the rise in greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. The two most significant greenhouse gases affected by human activity are carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄).

While human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, oil and gas exploration, waste management, and agriculture are major sources of GHGs, natural sources also play a significant role. Extensive wetlands, for example, are the largest natural source of CH₄ globally. In wetlands, methane is produced by soil microbes and plants that metabolize under anaerobic conditions and is then released into the atmosphere through diffusion, transport via plant tissues, and gas bubble emissions. These processes make global wetlands among the most important yet least understood sources and sinks in the global methane and CO₂ budget.

A major scientific challenge in this context is distinguishing between methane emissions from natural sources and those resulting from human activities. Our understanding of these processes, their relative magnitudes, and the associated feedback mechanisms – such as increased wildfire activity, permafrost thaw, or changes in inundation patterns – is still insufficient to fully meet the needs of scientists and policymakers in predicting and mitigating climate warming.

To enhance our understanding of greenhouse gas budgets, a series of airborne measurement campaigns, known as CoMet (Carbon Dioxide and Methane Mission), have been conducted using the unique capabilities of the German research aircraft HALO. The CoMet campaigns integrate active airborne remote sensing measurements with lasers, passive remote sensing with spectrometers and solar radiation, and advanced in situ greenhouse gas concentration measurements, alongside an extensive suite of meteorological parameters. These observations are further supported by extensive modelling activities that also contribute to validating existing GHG satellite data and preparing for the next generation of such missions.

The first CoMet campaign took place in 2018, and its findings were published in a special inter-journal issue of AMT/ACP/GMD. The follow-up campaign, CoMet 2.0 Arctic (https://comet2arctic.de), was successfully conducted during a 6-week intensive operation period in August and September 2022 in Canada. The research flights focused on greenhouse gas emissions from boreal wetlands, permafrost areas in the Canadian Arctic, and wildfires, as well as anthropogenic sources like oil, gas, and coal extraction sites and landfills (in Canada and, during a test flight, in Spain). This campaign provided a valuable dataset for understanding methane and carbon dioxide cycles, particularly at high northern latitudes.

CoMet 2.0 Arctic is also part of the transatlantic AMPAC (Arctic Methane and Permafrost Challenge) initiative, a collaborative effort between NASA and ESA that fosters cooperation among US, Canadian, and European research institutes in this crucial area of research.

The special issue is open to all contributions that fit the topic from participants of the CoMet 2.0 Arctic field mission, the AMPAC community, and associated research partners.

Through their interaction with solar and thermal infrared radiation, clouds and aerosols have been implicated as two of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate projections. The EarthCARE (Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) satellite is a joint ESA–JAXA mission designed to provide key new information to tackle this crucial challenge. Launched on 28 May 2024, it carries a Doppler cloud profiling radar (CPR), a high-spectral-resolution atmospheric lidar (ATLID), a multi-spectral imager (MSI), and a three-view broadband radiometer (BBR). CPR is the first radar in space that can measure how fast cloud and precipitation particles are falling in the atmosphere or rising in the cores of thunderstorms, while the ability of ATLID to separately measure the backscatter of particles and air molecules enables it to retrieve the all-important profile of the cloud and aerosol extinction coefficient without having to make any assumption regarding the scattering properties of the particles. A large number of cloud, aerosol, precipitation, and radiation data products are being produced, some derived from individual EarthCARE instruments and others from the synergy of multiple instruments.

This inter-journal special issue (SI) is dedicated to presenting early scientific results using data from the satellite. It is open to the submission of papers that use EarthCARE data and fall into the remit of one of the three journals participating in the SI: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, and Geoscientific Model Development. Topics can include, but are not limited to, the following: calibration and validation of EarthCARE data, development of new retrieval algorithms and improvement of existing algorithms, generation of new open-access datasets, improvement of the understanding of atmospheric properties and processes, evaluation of atmospheric models, assimilation of EarthCARE data into weather forecast and air quality models, and combination of EarthCARE with other datasets to estimate climate trends.

In April 2017, the Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) established the Priority Programme “Polarimetric Radar Observations meet Atmospheric Modelling (PROM)” (SPP 2115). The programme is designed to run for 6 years and is now in the third funding year. The overall motivation of the SPP PROM is a better understanding and representation of cloud and precipitation processes in numerical weather prediction and climate models. Since 2015 the whole atmosphere over Germany has been monitored by 17 state-of-the-art polarimetric Doppler weather radar observations suitable to challenge the representation of cloud and precipitation processes in atmospheric models. Data assimilation merges observations and models for state estimation as a prerequisite for prediction and can be regarded as a smart interpolation between observations while exploiting the physical consistency of atmospheric models as mathematical constraints. However, considerable knowledge gaps exist both in radar polarimetry and atmospheric models, which impede the full exploitation of the triangle radar-polarimetry–atmospheric-models–data-assimilation. Objectives of SPP PROM and thus the envisioned publications within the special issue are (1) the exploitation of radar polarimetry for quantitative process detection in precipitating clouds and for model evaluation, (2) the improvement of cloud and precipitation schemes in atmospheric models based on process fingerprints detectable in polarimetric observations, (3) monitoring of the energy budget evolution due to phase changes in the cloudy, precipitating atmosphere for a better understanding of its dynamics, (4) the generation of precipitation system analyses by the assimilation of polarimetric radar observations into atmospheric models for weather forecasting, and (5) radar-based detection of the initiation of convection for the improvement of thunderstorm prediction.

We invite original research, reviews, and case studies that focus on atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring, emission estimates, and mitigation strategies, particularly in the Asia–Pacific region.

The purpose of the Special Issue is to publish main results from the airborne field campaign HALO-(AC)³ studying warm-air intrusions and cold-air outbreaks and corresponding air mass transformations. HALO-(AC)³ took place in the area around Svalbard in March and April 2022. The campaign is embedded into a Transregional Collaborative Research Centre ( http://www.ac3-tr.de/) that investigates causes and consequences of the currently ongoing dramatic climate changes in the Arctic.

SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research) Working Group 167 (Reducing Uncertainty in Soluble aerosol Trace Element Deposition, RUSTED), appointed in October 2022, brings together experts from the atmospheric chemistry, ocean biogeochemistry, and modelling communities. Aiming to reduce uncertainties in soluble aerosol trace element deposition, RUSTED will quantitatively assess different aerosol leaching schemes; formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for frequently used aerosol leaching schemes; and develop a user-friendly, open-access database of aerosol trace element data which includes advice on the use of the data in Earth system models.

In this special issue, we propose to curate cutting-edge studies which advance our knowledge of the deposition of soluble aerosol trace elements and their impacts on marine ecosystems. We also encourage the submission of manuscripts which address challenges and/or report recent advances in the field of aerosol trace element deposition from researchers outside the working group.

SKYNET is an international research network dedicated to aerosol—cloud—radiation interaction studies.
It consists of about 60 sites located all over the world. The main instrument at each site is the sun—sky radiometer, but to strengthen the ability of SKYNET, simultaneous measurements with other instruments such as pyranometers, pirgeometers, microwave radiometers, absorption meters, cloud cameras, lidars, MAX-DOAS, and instrumentation for in situ characterisation are also conducted for some selected sites.
This special issue will face issues related to the following topics: aerosol and cloud properties from radiometers; developments on instrumentation; aerosol radiative forcing and climate effects; intercomparison among radiometer networks; validation of aerosol and cloud properties from satellite and models; applications for air pollution studies; and applications for solar energy.

Aerosols are particles floating in the Earth's atmosphere and are linked with the largest uncertainty in estimates and interpretations of the Earth's changing energy budget. Measurement principles differ depending on the desired derived aerosol optical parameter and on the measurement platform (surface or space). Common aerosol columnar properties' retrieval techniques consist of direct measurement of a bright source of radiation (sun, star, moon, sky) with multi-wavelength photometers. Several global photometric aerosol networks exist. However, there are several instrumental, algorithm-based, and hardware-based differences in their related aerosol products, and global standardization is needed. In addition, in order to improve and optimize sun- and moon-photometric aerosol measurements, a network of aerosol scientists and operators, aerosol measurement users and software, and hardware developers is needed.

In the frame of the EU COST Action Harmonia, International network for harmonisation of atmospheric aerosol retrievals from ground based photometers (https://harmonia-cost.eu/), a network of 150 people has been established who are working towards improving sun-photometric aerosol measurements and also linking measurements with various effects and applications dealing with aerosol columnar properties. During the first 2 years of the project, various aspects were identified as scientific gaps in our current knowledge on aerosol measurements, modelling, processes, and effects, with a critical mass of scientists working towards addressing them. Such gaps include issues such as

• a need for improvement of the aerosol measurements from surface-based instruments, including use of new technologies, improved algorithms, and combined approaches;
• the harmonization of aerosol optical properties from different aerosol networks (filter radiometers, spectroradiometers);
• aerosol trend analysis and satellite validation;
• sun-photometric synergies with in situ and lidar aerosol measurements and also modelling assimilation;
• the presentation of intensive campaign results with a focus on aerosols and aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions;
• enhancements regarding aerosol effects on different communities (e.g. solar energy, aviation, health, climate, air quality, agriculture).

This special issue focuses on addressing the above-mentioned gaps through individual and combined efforts of the Harmonia community and others. A list of papers to be submitted has been created, including results related to Harmonia and also ACTRIS research infrastructure (SK2) activities, long-term measurement analysis of measured data, aerosol retrieval algorithms and techniques, and aerosol effects.

The Joint Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign (JATAC) used ground-based, aircraft, and balloon measurements to validate data provided by ESA's Aeolus satellite and support related science activities on the interaction of wind, dust, and clouds. ESA’s Aeolus satellite observations are expected to have the biggest impact on the improvement of numerical weather prediction in the tropics. An important case relating to the predictability of tropical weather systems is the outflow of Saharan dust, its interaction with cloud microphysics, and its impact on the development of tropical storms over the Atlantic Ocean. JATAC, deployed over Cabo Verde (2021–2022) and the US Virgin Islands (2021), supported the validation and preparation of the ESA Aeolus, EarthCARE, and WIVERN missions. It also addressed science objectives regarding the Saharan aerosol layer, the African easterly waves and jet, the tropical easterly jet, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (including their relation to the formation of convective systems) as well as the long-range transport of dust and its impact on air quality.

This special issue (SI) collects the studies that utilized the synergy of remote sensing, surface-based, and airborne observations to address the satellite validation objectives and spatio-temporal representativeness of the different atmospheric measurement techniques. The SI studies bring together different observations from the individual ground-based and airborne campaign activities that have taken place in the frame of JATAC, to demonstrate the added value of the synergistic use of different measurements and platforms to address open science questions related to dynamics and the interactions of aerosols with clouds and radiation.

The purpose of this special issue is to bring together papers summarizing the results of the Radio Occultation Modeling Experiment (ROMEX) in a special issue of Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT). ROMEX is an international collaboration the purpose of which is to test the impact of varying numbers of vertical profiles of radio occultation (RO) observations in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. An average of 35 000 RO profiles per day for September–November 2022 from 13 different missions are being used in experiments at major international weather prediction centres along with other atmospheric case studies demonstrating their effectiveness in observing atmospheric phenomena.

The primary focus of the special issue is the evaluation and intercomparison of the quality, characteristics, and impact on NWP models of an unprecedented number of RO observations from multiple missions across the public and private sectors in the US, Europe, and China. ROMEX represents a coordinated measurement campaign with contributions from data providers, processing centres, space agencies, and operational forecasting centres.

Central to this special issue are studies involving ROMEX-related datasets, with topics including but not limited to observation data quality and characteristics, advances in data processing methodologies, data evaluation and validation efforts, and impact studies on numerical weather prediction and other applications. Collectively, these topics – particularly the impact assessments – offer critical insights into the strengths and limitations of radio occultation as an atmospheric measurement technique.

The special issue is open to all studies evaluating or using ROMEX observations in NWP and other areas of atmospheric research. Papers for the special issue may be submitted between 1 May 2025 and 31 December 2026.

This special issue includes the publications which are published under the remit of the collaborative research centre The tropopause region in a changing atmosphere (TPChange) that started in 2021. The consortium under the umbrella of this project constitutes experts from gas-phase and aerosol chemistry relevant to the transport and composition of the tropopause region. It covers new measurements and developments as well as process-oriented and global modelling of processes that concern this climate-relevant region. The purpose of TPChange is to develop deeper understanding of the role of tropopause processes (often sub-grid to global modelling) in the light of climate change.

This special issue includes the publications which are published under the remit of the collaborative research centre The tropopause region in a changing atmosphere (TPChange) that started in 2021. The consortium under the umbrella of this project constitutes experts from gas-phase and aerosol chemistry relevant to the transport and composition of the tropopause region. It covers new measurements and developments as well as process-oriented and global modelling of processes that concern this climate-relevant region. The purpose of TPChange is to develop deeper understanding of the role of tropopause processes (often sub-grid to global modelling) in the light of climate change.

The purpose of this special issue is to bring together papers summarizing the results of the Radio Occultation Modeling Experiment (ROMEX) in a special issue of Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT). ROMEX is an international collaboration the purpose of which is to test the impact of varying numbers of vertical profiles of radio occultation (RO) observations in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. An average of 35 000 RO profiles per day for September–November 2022 from 13 different missions are being used in experiments at major international weather prediction centres along with other atmospheric case studies demonstrating their effectiveness in observing atmospheric phenomena.

The primary focus of the special issue is the evaluation and intercomparison of the quality, characteristics, and impact on NWP models of an unprecedented number of RO observations from multiple missions across the public and private sectors in the US, Europe, and China. ROMEX represents a coordinated measurement campaign with contributions from data providers, processing centres, space agencies, and operational forecasting centres.

Central to this special issue are studies involving ROMEX-related datasets, with topics including but not limited to observation data quality and characteristics, advances in data processing methodologies, data evaluation and validation efforts, and impact studies on numerical weather prediction and other applications. Collectively, these topics – particularly the impact assessments – offer critical insights into the strengths and limitations of radio occultation as an atmospheric measurement technique.

The special issue is open to all studies evaluating or using ROMEX observations in NWP and other areas of atmospheric research. Papers for the special issue may be submitted between 1 May 2025 and 31 December 2026.

Through their interaction with solar and thermal infrared radiation, clouds and aerosols have been implicated as two of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate projections. The EarthCARE (Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) satellite is a joint ESA–JAXA mission designed to provide key new information to tackle this crucial challenge. Launched on 28 May 2024, it carries a Doppler cloud profiling radar (CPR), a high-spectral-resolution atmospheric lidar (ATLID), a multi-spectral imager (MSI), and a three-view broadband radiometer (BBR). CPR is the first radar in space that can measure how fast cloud and precipitation particles are falling in the atmosphere or rising in the cores of thunderstorms, while the ability of ATLID to separately measure the backscatter of particles and air molecules enables it to retrieve the all-important profile of the cloud and aerosol extinction coefficient without having to make any assumption regarding the scattering properties of the particles. A large number of cloud, aerosol, precipitation, and radiation data products are being produced, some derived from individual EarthCARE instruments and others from the synergy of multiple instruments.

This inter-journal special issue (SI) is dedicated to presenting early scientific results using data from the satellite. It is open to the submission of papers that use EarthCARE data and fall into the remit of one of the three journals participating in the SI: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, and Geoscientific Model Development. Topics can include, but are not limited to, the following: calibration and validation of EarthCARE data, development of new retrieval algorithms and improvement of existing algorithms, generation of new open-access datasets, improvement of the understanding of atmospheric properties and processes, evaluation of atmospheric models, assimilation of EarthCARE data into weather forecast and air quality models, and combination of EarthCARE with other datasets to estimate climate trends.

Aerosols are particles floating in the Earth's atmosphere and are linked with the largest uncertainty in estimates and interpretations of the Earth's changing energy budget. Measurement principles differ depending on the desired derived aerosol optical parameter and on the measurement platform (surface or space). Common aerosol columnar properties' retrieval techniques consist of direct measurement of a bright source of radiation (sun, star, moon, sky) with multi-wavelength photometers. Several global photometric aerosol networks exist. However, there are several instrumental, algorithm-based, and hardware-based differences in their related aerosol products, and global standardization is needed. In addition, in order to improve and optimize sun- and moon-photometric aerosol measurements, a network of aerosol scientists and operators, aerosol measurement users and software, and hardware developers is needed.

In the frame of the EU COST Action Harmonia, International network for harmonisation of atmospheric aerosol retrievals from ground based photometers (https://harmonia-cost.eu/), a network of 150 people has been established who are working towards improving sun-photometric aerosol measurements and also linking measurements with various effects and applications dealing with aerosol columnar properties. During the first 2 years of the project, various aspects were identified as scientific gaps in our current knowledge on aerosol measurements, modelling, processes, and effects, with a critical mass of scientists working towards addressing them. Such gaps include issues such as

• a need for improvement of the aerosol measurements from surface-based instruments, including use of new technologies, improved algorithms, and combined approaches;
• the harmonization of aerosol optical properties from different aerosol networks (filter radiometers, spectroradiometers);
• aerosol trend analysis and satellite validation;
• sun-photometric synergies with in situ and lidar aerosol measurements and also modelling assimilation;
• the presentation of intensive campaign results with a focus on aerosols and aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions;
• enhancements regarding aerosol effects on different communities (e.g. solar energy, aviation, health, climate, air quality, agriculture).

This special issue focuses on addressing the above-mentioned gaps through individual and combined efforts of the Harmonia community and others. A list of papers to be submitted has been created, including results related to Harmonia and also ACTRIS research infrastructure (SK2) activities, long-term measurement analysis of measured data, aerosol retrieval algorithms and techniques, and aerosol effects.

We invite original research, reviews, and case studies that focus on atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring, emission estimates, and mitigation strategies, particularly in the Asia–Pacific region.

The climate crisis is one of the grand challenges of the 21st century. The increase in Earth's surface temperature, commonly known as global warming or anthropogenically induced climate change, is primarily driven by the rise in greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. The two most significant greenhouse gases affected by human activity are carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄).

While human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, oil and gas exploration, waste management, and agriculture are major sources of GHGs, natural sources also play a significant role. Extensive wetlands, for example, are the largest natural source of CH₄ globally. In wetlands, methane is produced by soil microbes and plants that metabolize under anaerobic conditions and is then released into the atmosphere through diffusion, transport via plant tissues, and gas bubble emissions. These processes make global wetlands among the most important yet least understood sources and sinks in the global methane and CO₂ budget.

A major scientific challenge in this context is distinguishing between methane emissions from natural sources and those resulting from human activities. Our understanding of these processes, their relative magnitudes, and the associated feedback mechanisms – such as increased wildfire activity, permafrost thaw, or changes in inundation patterns – is still insufficient to fully meet the needs of scientists and policymakers in predicting and mitigating climate warming.

To enhance our understanding of greenhouse gas budgets, a series of airborne measurement campaigns, known as CoMet (Carbon Dioxide and Methane Mission), have been conducted using the unique capabilities of the German research aircraft HALO. The CoMet campaigns integrate active airborne remote sensing measurements with lasers, passive remote sensing with spectrometers and solar radiation, and advanced in situ greenhouse gas concentration measurements, alongside an extensive suite of meteorological parameters. These observations are further supported by extensive modelling activities that also contribute to validating existing GHG satellite data and preparing for the next generation of such missions.

The first CoMet campaign took place in 2018, and its findings were published in a special inter-journal issue of AMT/ACP/GMD. The follow-up campaign, CoMet 2.0 Arctic (https://comet2arctic.de), was successfully conducted during a 6-week intensive operation period in August and September 2022 in Canada. The research flights focused on greenhouse gas emissions from boreal wetlands, permafrost areas in the Canadian Arctic, and wildfires, as well as anthropogenic sources like oil, gas, and coal extraction sites and landfills (in Canada and, during a test flight, in Spain). This campaign provided a valuable dataset for understanding methane and carbon dioxide cycles, particularly at high northern latitudes.

CoMet 2.0 Arctic is also part of the transatlantic AMPAC (Arctic Methane and Permafrost Challenge) initiative, a collaborative effort between NASA and ESA that fosters cooperation among US, Canadian, and European research institutes in this crucial area of research.

The special issue is open to all contributions that fit the topic from participants of the CoMet 2.0 Arctic field mission, the AMPAC community, and associated research partners.

The Joint Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign (JATAC) used ground-based, aircraft, and balloon measurements to validate data provided by ESA's Aeolus satellite and support related science activities on the interaction of wind, dust, and clouds. ESA’s Aeolus satellite observations are expected to have the biggest impact on the improvement of numerical weather prediction in the tropics. An important case relating to the predictability of tropical weather systems is the outflow of Saharan dust, its interaction with cloud microphysics, and its impact on the development of tropical storms over the Atlantic Ocean. JATAC, deployed over Cabo Verde (2021–2022) and the US Virgin Islands (2021), supported the validation and preparation of the ESA Aeolus, EarthCARE, and WIVERN missions. It also addressed science objectives regarding the Saharan aerosol layer, the African easterly waves and jet, the tropical easterly jet, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (including their relation to the formation of convective systems) as well as the long-range transport of dust and its impact on air quality.

This special issue (SI) collects the studies that utilized the synergy of remote sensing, surface-based, and airborne observations to address the satellite validation objectives and spatio-temporal representativeness of the different atmospheric measurement techniques. The SI studies bring together different observations from the individual ground-based and airborne campaign activities that have taken place in the frame of JATAC, to demonstrate the added value of the synergistic use of different measurements and platforms to address open science questions related to dynamics and the interactions of aerosols with clouds and radiation.

SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research) Working Group 167 (Reducing Uncertainty in Soluble aerosol Trace Element Deposition, RUSTED), appointed in October 2022, brings together experts from the atmospheric chemistry, ocean biogeochemistry, and modelling communities. Aiming to reduce uncertainties in soluble aerosol trace element deposition, RUSTED will quantitatively assess different aerosol leaching schemes; formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for frequently used aerosol leaching schemes; and develop a user-friendly, open-access database of aerosol trace element data which includes advice on the use of the data in Earth system models.

In this special issue, we propose to curate cutting-edge studies which advance our knowledge of the deposition of soluble aerosol trace elements and their impacts on marine ecosystems. We also encourage the submission of manuscripts which address challenges and/or report recent advances in the field of aerosol trace element deposition from researchers outside the working group.

This special issue consists of papers that describe the modelling, observations, and analysis of data related to the ACROSS (Atmospheric Chemistry of the Suburban Forest) field measurement campaign that took place in summer 2022 in the Paris region. It could also include papers describing new instrumentation or new instrumental configurations used during the campaign. Any papers directly related to the ACROSS project are welcome for submittal to this special issue.

The purpose of the Special Issue is to publish main results from the airborne field campaign HALO-(AC)³ studying warm-air intrusions and cold-air outbreaks and corresponding air mass transformations. HALO-(AC)³ took place in the area around Svalbard in March and April 2022. The campaign is embedded into a Transregional Collaborative Research Centre ( http://www.ac3-tr.de/) that investigates causes and consequences of the currently ongoing dramatic climate changes in the Arctic.

In April 2017, the Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) established the Priority Programme “Polarimetric Radar Observations meet Atmospheric Modelling (PROM)” (SPP 2115). The programme is designed to run for 6 years and is now in the third funding year. The overall motivation of the SPP PROM is a better understanding and representation of cloud and precipitation processes in numerical weather prediction and climate models. Since 2015 the whole atmosphere over Germany has been monitored by 17 state-of-the-art polarimetric Doppler weather radar observations suitable to challenge the representation of cloud and precipitation processes in atmospheric models. Data assimilation merges observations and models for state estimation as a prerequisite for prediction and can be regarded as a smart interpolation between observations while exploiting the physical consistency of atmospheric models as mathematical constraints. However, considerable knowledge gaps exist both in radar polarimetry and atmospheric models, which impede the full exploitation of the triangle radar-polarimetry–atmospheric-models–data-assimilation. Objectives of SPP PROM and thus the envisioned publications within the special issue are (1) the exploitation of radar polarimetry for quantitative process detection in precipitating clouds and for model evaluation, (2) the improvement of cloud and precipitation schemes in atmospheric models based on process fingerprints detectable in polarimetric observations, (3) monitoring of the energy budget evolution due to phase changes in the cloudy, precipitating atmosphere for a better understanding of its dynamics, (4) the generation of precipitation system analyses by the assimilation of polarimetric radar observations into atmospheric models for weather forecasting, and (5) radar-based detection of the initiation of convection for the improvement of thunderstorm prediction.

SKYNET is an international research network dedicated to aerosol—cloud—radiation interaction studies.
It consists of about 60 sites located all over the world. The main instrument at each site is the sun—sky radiometer, but to strengthen the ability of SKYNET, simultaneous measurements with other instruments such as pyranometers, pirgeometers, microwave radiometers, absorption meters, cloud cameras, lidars, MAX-DOAS, and instrumentation for in situ characterisation are also conducted for some selected sites.
This special issue will face issues related to the following topics: aerosol and cloud properties from radiometers; developments on instrumentation; aerosol radiative forcing and climate effects; intercomparison among radiometer networks; validation of aerosol and cloud properties from satellite and models; applications for air pollution studies; and applications for solar energy.