Synergy with International Projects

The CLARIFY-2017 project is working in synergy with two other independent projects, ORACLES and AEROCLO-SA. ORACLES is led by NASA and is a project funded by the United States of America, while AEROCLO-SA is project led by a collaborations of French Universities and Institutions. The ultimate aims of CLARIFY-2017, ORACLES and AEROCLO-SA are:

  • To improve our understanding of the role of atmospheric aerosols and their interaction with the climate system.
  • To improve climate forecasts for Namibia, Africa and the global climate.
  • To improve weather forecasts for Namibian region.

CLARIFY-2017, AEROCLO-sA and ORACLES have differing research aircraft and instrumentation, but have these three common aims at the heart of their research. The scheduling is similar for the three aircraft as the meteorological conditions for high biomass burning aerosol concentrations over the SE Atlantic occur at a specific time of year. The scientific value in the three combined campaigns promises to provide a more complete picture of aerosols and their interactions with clouds and radiation, compared to the results for any one project alone. Moreover, post-campaign analysis will be coordinated appropriately. The results will feed into different climate and weather forecast models.

CLARIFY-2017 and AEROCLO-sA will work collaboratively with Namibian scientific and meteorological partners (NUST, University of Namibia, Namibian Meteorological Service, and Desert Research Foundation).