A strong EARLICOST presence was on display at the EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop, held in Oxford on 8–12 June 2026. The event marked another milestone in the European Space Agency’s exciting collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, who have teamed up to shed light on the mysteries of our climate system through EarthCARE (Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer). The satellite carries four instruments, an atmospheric lidar, cloud profiling radar, multispectral imager and broadband radiometer, which were all put under the spotlight now that data products are all publicly available.  

More than twenty EARLICOST members took part in the workshop, showcasing their latest research, exchanging ideas with leading international experts, and bringing home new knowledge and collaborations. Among them was EARLICOST Chair Eleni Marinou, who presented the validation of EarthCARE products within the ACROSS Mediterranean activities. Her work demonstrated how fully equipped atmospheric supersites can provide the high-quality measurements needed to validate satellite observations and maximise their scientific impact.

Another highlight was a presentation by Franco Marenco, supported through an EARLICOST Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) grant. His work addressed one of the key challenges in atmospheric remote sensing: translating EarthCARE’s optical measurements into reliable estimates of aerosol concentration. The presentation showed how uncertainties in particle size can propagate into the conversion factors, a challenge that becomes particularly important during major desert dust outbreaks, when exceptionally large particles are present in the atmosphere.

Throughout the week, discussions emphasised the crucial role of accurate observations, dedicated validation campaigns, innovative synergistic retrieval techniques, and international collaboration in producing high-quality climate data records that scientists and policymakers can trust. The workshop also featured a lively Early Career Scientist discussion forum, providing young researchers with a unique opportunity to debate some of the biggest open questions in atmospheric science, exchange ideas with senior experts, and expand their international professional networks.

With more than twenty members actively contributing through presentations and discussions, EARLICOST demonstrated the strength of its scientific community and its growing recognition within the international EarthCARE community. As the mission enters its exciting operational phase, EARLICOST researchers are helping ensure that its observations are transformed into robust scientific knowledge for the benefit of climate research worldwide.

EARLICOST chair Eleni Marinou with her young daughter at the workshop dinner in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Franco Marenco and Zuhir Bona, both EARLICOST members, were also representing the Doctoral Network on Atmospheric Dust (Dust-DN)

A busy poster session in Rhodes House, Oxford!

The EARLICOST members who participated in the EarthCARE 2026 Science and Validation Workshop with oral presentations and/or posters were:

Andreas Karipis — Poster: EarthCARE stratospheric aerosol optical depth and its impact on ICON forecast

Aspasia Pallikaridou — Poster: Validation of EarthCARE MSI and ATLID aerosol products in Eastern Mediterranean using AERONET and CARO observations | και Poster P082: Assessing MONARCH Mineral Dust Forecasts with EarthCARE ATLID and CARO Limassol PollyXT

Diego Alves Gouveia — Poster: Use of ACTRIS/EARLINET correlative observations for the validations of ATLID’s AER and EBD L2 products in cirrus clouds (EVID14)

Dimitra Kouklaki — Presentation: Quantifying 3D radiative transfer effects of clouds using ML-generated 3D cloud scenes for EarthCARE, and airborne observations from ORCESTRA/PERCUSION campaign

Eleni Marinou — Presentation: Validation of EarthCARE products under ACROSS Mediterranean activities | και Co-chair των Validation Recommendations της Day 5

Francisco Navas Guzmán — Poster: Assessment of ATLID Aerosol Vertical Profiles Using Synergistic Integration of the E-Profile and AERONET Networks | και Poster P038: Validation of EarthCARE-derived Planetary Boundary Layer Height using radiosondes

Franco Marenco — Presentation: Quantifying atmospheric aerosols using EarthCARE

George Kotsias — Poster (online): Early Insights into Cloud Vertical Structure over Cyprus from EarthCARE CPR Level-2 Products

Holger Baars — Presentation: Validation of EarthCARE’s ATLID L2 aerosol profiling products with ground-based lidar stations of PollyNET – case studies

Ioanna Tsikoudi — Poster (online): Evaluating EarthCARE Cloud Typing and Microphysics with Cloudnet data

Iwona Stachlewska — Presentation: Validation of EarthCARE ATLID L2 ESA and JAXA data products on over Poland using mobile EMORAL and stationary PollyXT observations | και Poster P063: Spatial distribution of dust-influenced elevated aerosol layers from PollyXT-UW and ATLID observations

Kalliopi Artemis Voudouri — Poster: Evaluation of EarthCARE aerosol layer height retrievals with ground-based measurements and collocated satellite data

Marco Di Paolantonio — Presentation: The OCEAN (Ocean Color EarthCARE ANalysis) project

Maria Poutli — Poster (online): Validation of EarthCARE ATLID L2a aerosol products with PollyXT Lidar Measurements at CARO Limassol ACTRIS National Facility

Martin Wirth — Presentation: Validation of ATLID extinction and lidar-ratio of cirrus clouds using airborne measurements with the research aircraft HALO

Moritz Haarig — Presentation: The global variation of the dust lidar ratio as observed with ATLID | και Παρουσίαση T217: Breakthrough in ATLID’s polarization characterization

Silke Gross — Poster: Airborne high spectral resolution lidar measurements to validate EarthCARE’s ATLID L1/L2 optical properties; update and statistical analysis | και Παρουσίαση T508: Transition from CALIPSO to EarthCARE; can we use EarthCARE measurements to continue CALIPSO long-term studies on aerosol effect on cirrus clouds?

Thanasis Georgiou — Poster: Improving desert dust emission schemes through novel data assimilation techniques using EarthCARE | και Παρουσίαση T421: Advances in dust optical modelling and EarthCARE dust data assimilation

Ulla Wandinger — Poster: POLIPHON implementation in the earthcarekit software tool: microphysical and cloud-relevant aerosol properties from EarthCARE/ATLID | και Co-chair/speaker στα Validation Recommendations Day 5 (S512)

Zuhir Bona — Poster: A Polarimetric Lidar Extinction Method for Improved Dust Retrievals from EarthCARE