ACTRIS Lidar Calibration Centre (LiCal)
The Lidar Calibration Centre (LiCal) offers a broad range of services for detailed characterization of lidar systems and ceilometers. It operates within the ACTRIS Centre for Aerosol Remote Sensing (CARS), which coordinates quality assurance, calibration, and standardization activities for ground-based remote sensing systems that monitor aerosols and atmospheric particles.
LiCAL provides comprehensive calibration and characterization services for both individual lidar components and complete systems. Its work includes testing optical elements such as lasers, mirrors, and filters, assessing system alignment and polarization response, and conducting side-by-side intercomparison campaigns with reference instruments. By applying standardized procedures and traceable calibration methods, LiCAL guarantees that participating stations deliver consistent and reliable data to the ACTRIS network, supporting long-term climate and air quality research. Beyond calibration, LiCAL contributes to training, method development, and satellite validation activities for missions such as EarthCARE and ADM-Aeolus. Its expertise helps harmonize measurements from a geographically diverse network of observatories, making European aerosol and cloud monitoring more coherent and scientifically robust.
LiCAL provides comprehensive calibration and characterization services for both individual lidar components and complete systems. Its work includes testing optical elements such as lasers, mirrors, and filters, assessing system alignment and polarization response, and conducting side-by-side intercomparison campaigns with reference instruments. By applying standardized procedures and traceable calibration methods, LiCAL guarantees that participating stations deliver consistent and reliable data to the ACTRIS network, supporting long-term climate and air quality research. Beyond calibration, LiCAL contributes to training, method development, and satellite validation activities for missions such as EarthCARE and ADM-Aeolus. Its expertise helps harmonize measurements from a geographically diverse network of observatories, making European aerosol and cloud monitoring more coherent and scientifically robust.
As part of ACTRIS’s open access policy, LiCAL also supports external research institutions and manufacturers, strengthening international collaboration and promoting high-quality atmospheric observations worldwide.
Depending on the setup, the facility enables testing of individual lidar components, optical modules, as well as direct comparisons with reference lidar instruments. LiCal also provides opportunities for lidar troubleshooting, system optimization, and intensive training workshops aimed at new lidar users.
