Abstract. We present LIVAS (LIdar climatology of Vertical Aerosol Structure for space-based lidar simulation studies), a 3-D multi-wavelength global aerosol and cloud optical database, optimized to be used for future space-based lidar end-to-end simulations of realistic atmospheric scenarios as well as retrieval algorithm testing activities. The LI-VAS database provides averaged profiles of aerosol optical properties for the potential spaceborne laser operating wavelengths of 355, 532, 1064, 1570 and 2050 nm and of cloud optical properties at the wavelength of 532 nm. The global database is based on CALIPSO observations at 532 and 1064 nm and on aerosol-type-dependent backscatter-and extinction-related Ångström exponents, derived from EAR-LINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) groundbased measurements for the UV and scattering calculations for the IR wavelengths, using a combination of input data from AERONET, suitable aerosol models and recent literature. The required spectral conversions are calculated for each of the CALIPSO aerosol types and are applied to CALIPSO backscatter and extinction data corresponding to the aerosol type retrieved by the CALIPSO aerosol classification scheme. A cloud optical database based on CALIPSO measurements at 532 nm is also provided, neglecting wavelength conversion due to approximately neutral scattering behavior of clouds along the spectral range of LIVAS. Averages of particle linear depolarization ratio profiles at 532 nm are provided as well. Finally, vertical distributions for a set of selected scenes of specific atmospheric phenomena (e.g., dust outbreaks, volcanic eruptions, wild fires, polar stratospheric clouds) are analyzed and spectrally converted so as to be used as case studies for spaceborne lidar performance assess-

This work investigates a Sentinel-2 based crop identification methodology for the monitoring of the Common Agricultural Policy's (CAP) Cross Compliance (CC) and Greening obligations. In this regard, we implemented and evaluated a parcel-based supervised classification scheme to produce accurate crop type mapping in a smallholder agricultural zone in Navarra, Spain. The scheme makes use of supervised classifiers Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and Random Forest (RF) to discriminate among the various crop types, based on a large variable space of Sentinel-2 imagery and Vegetation Index (VI) time-series. The classifiers are separately applied at three different levels of crop nomenclature hierarchy, comparing their performance with respect to accuracy and execution time. SVM provides optimal performance and proves significantly superior to RF for the lowest level of the nomenclature, resulting in 0.87 Cohen's kappa coefficient. Experiments were carried out to assess the importance of input variables, where top contributors are the Near Infrared (NIR), vegetation red-edge, and ShortWave Infrared (SWIR) multispectral bands, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation (NDVI) and Plant Senescence Reflectance (PSRI) indices, sensed during advanced crop phenology stages. The scheme is finally applied to a Lansat-8 OLI based equivalent variable space, offering 0.70 Cohen's kappa coefficient for the SVM classification, highlighting the superior performance of Sentinel-2 for this type of application. This is credited to Sentinel-2's spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics.

Abstract. This study assesses the impact of dust on surface solar radiation focussing on an extreme dust event. For this purpose, we exploited the synergy of AERONET measurements and passive and active satellite remote sensing (MODIS and CALIPSO) observations, in conjunction with radiative transfer model (RTM) and chemical transport model (CTM) simulations and the 1-day forecasts from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). The area of interest is the eastern Mediterranean where anomalously high aerosol loads were recorded between 30 January and 3 February 2015. The intensity of the event was extremely high, with aerosol optical depth (AOD) reaching 3.5, and optical/microphysical properties suggesting aged dust. RTM and CTM simulations were able to quantify the extent of dust impact on surface irradiances and reveal substantial reduction in solar energy exploitation capacity of PV and CSP installations under this high aerosol load. We found that such an extreme dust event can result in Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) attenuation by as much as 40-50 % and a much stronger Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) decrease (80-90 %), while spectrally this attenuation is distributed to 37 % in the UV region, 33 % in the visible and around 30 % in the infrared. CAMS forecasts provided a reliable available energy assessment (accuracy within 10 % of that obtained from MODIS). Spatially, the dust plume resulted in a zonally averaged reduction of GHI and DNI of the order of 150 W m −2 in southern Greece, and a mean increase of 20 W m −2 in the northern Greece as a result of lower AOD values combined with local atmospheric processes. This analysis of a real-world scenario contributes to the understanding and quantification of the impact range of high aerosol loads on solar energy and the potential for forecasting power generation failures at sunshine-privileged locations where solar power plants exist, are under construction or are being planned.

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Recent studies have indicated that for the first time since 1950, intense geophysical activity is occurring at the Santorini volcano. Here, we present and discuss the surface deformation associated with this activity, spanning from January 2011 to February 2012. Analysis of satellite interferometry data was performed using two well‐established techniques, namely, Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) and Small Baseline Subset (SBAS), producing dense line‐of‐sight (LOS) ground deformation maps. The displacement field was compared with GPS observations from 10 continuous sites installed on Santorini. Results show a clear and large inflation signal, up to 150 mm/yr in the LOS direction, with a radial pattern outward from the center of the caldera. We model the deformation inferred from GPS and InSAR using a Mogi source located north of the Nea Kameni island, at a depth between 3.3 km and 6.3 km and with a volume change rate in the range of 12 million m3 to 24 million m3 per year. The latest InSAR and GPS data suggest that the intense geophysical activity has started to diminish since the end of February 2012.

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Abstract. On September 7, 1999, a moderate (Mw=5.9) normal faulting earthquake occurred in the northwest of Athens (Hellas) causing heavy damages and casualties. Using interferometric combinations of ERS2 SAR images, we analyzed the coseismic deformation field. Two fringes are observed south of the Fill mountain, up to the coastline of the Elefsis gulf. They correspond to 56 mm increase in slant range. Modeling the earthquake as a dislocation in an elastic half-space, we inverted the interferometric data to assess the fault location and geometry and the amplitude of the coseismic slip. The model suggests -300 mm slip on an 18 km long blind fault composed of two pieces. The intersection of the fault plane with the Earth surface is located in the Fill mountain with a -N 120 ø orientation.

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