Dataset for Natural Aerosols, Gaseous Precursors and Their Impacts in Greece: A Review from the Remote Sensing Perspective

This repository contains the python scripts and results shown in Fig. 4 of 'Natural Aerosols, Gaseous Precursors and Their Impacts in Greece: A Review from the Remote Sensing Perspective' (by Amiridis et al., 2024) published in Atmosphere journal.  The file LIDAR_profiles_pollyXT_NOA.txt contain the particle backscatter (bp) and particle linear depolarization ratio profiles at 532nm, derived from the PollyXT lidar that operates at the PANhellenic GEophysical observatory of Antikythera (PANGEA) by the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). dust_decomposition.py and mass_computation.py are the two scripts used to decompose the (bp) into a depolarizing (in this case volcanic ash) and a non-depolarizing (in this case volcanic sulfates) component according to the POLIPHON method introduced by Ansmann et al., 2012.  The resulting mass concentration profiles are stored into the file Mass_concentration_profiles_derived_from_LIDAR_Fig4.txt.  The scrip to_obtain_Fig4.py contains all the above calculations along with calculations of the corresponding uncerttainties.  The corresponding mass concentration profiles as derived from FLEXPART model are stored into Mass_concentration_profiles_derived_from_FLEXPART_Fig4.txt Finally the files FLEXPART-MAPS_Fig4.py, flxout_d01_20210312_204500.nc and header_d01.nc can be used to obtain the map plot of Fig. 4 with ash mass concntration contours above PANGEA.