ÁGORA is an infrastructure developed for the multi-instrumental study of atmospheric processes, with special focus on (i) atmospheric aerosol and its role in climate and air quality, (ii) aerosol-cloud interaction processes and (iii) the so-called trace gases active in the lower layers of the atmosphere. This is a set of unique facilities, distributed between the stations located at the Inter-University Institute for Research on the Earth System in Andalusia, IISTA, and the Sierra Nevada observatory, where the necessary equipment is available for cutting-edge research in the atmospheric field with a clear multidisciplinary vocation.
UGR Station
Located in the city of Granada (37.16ºN, 3.61ºW, 680 m asl), a medium-sized non-industrialized city (> 500k inhabitants, including metropolitan area) surrounded by high mountains (1000 to 3398 m asl), and 50km from the Mediterranean coast. Its Mediterranean-continental climate is responsible for high seasonal temperature differences, with cold winters and hot, dry summers. Rainfall is concentrated from late autumn to early spring, being scarce the rest of the year. NW and W surface winds prevail during the day, and SE and S at night. The station characterizes an urban atmospheric environment, and combines long-term monitoring of the vertical distribution of atmospheric aerosol, with in-situ measurements for the characterization of aerosol particles, as well as cloud, solar and atmospheric radiation monitoring at different spectral ranges.
Cerro Poyos (CP) and Sierra Nevada (SNS) Stations
Cerro Poyos (CP) in the Sierra Nevada mountains (37.11ºN, 3.49ºW, 1830 m asl) and the Sierra Nevada Station (SNS) (37.10ºN, 3.39ºW, 2500 m asl), both located about 20 km from the UGR station. Their proximity offers a unique opportunity to combine remote vertical sounding of the atmospheric column from the UGR station with in-situ measurements at different altitudes on the slopes of Sierra Nevada. The high mountain stations allow for the characterization of regional and long-range transport episodes, as well as for the validation of inversion algorithms used to invert microphysical properties of the aerosol.
In relation to the approach used in terms of observation techniques, we can consider the following structure.
Remote sensing laboratory
The remote sensing laboratory comprises the set of instruments dedicated to remote sensing of the so-called ACTRIS components: aerosol, cloud and trace gases. The location of the laboratory is mainly the UGR station, so it focuses its research on the urban environment.
Flux towers
Currently, IISTA manages six flux towers to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) exchanges using the eddy covariance technique, a methodology selected by the European ICOS project to quantify GHG exchanges between the atmosphere and different ecosystems. Specifically, the flux tower network studies four different (and representative) Mediterranean ecosystems through: (1) two stations in a traditional olive orchard (with vegetation cover; 37°55’10.13 N, 3°14’24. 62 W) since 2012; (2) two stations in grasslands (Balsa blanca and Amoladeras, 36°56’24 N; 2º18’0 W) located in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park since 2006; (3) one station in the subalpine scrubland of El Llano de los Juanes (36°55’36. 89 N; 2°45’6.84 W) since 2004; (4) a station at the Iznájar water reservoir (37°16’36.2 N 4°22’14.8 W) since 2024, which had previously been located at the Padul wetland from 2012 and at the Fuente de Piedra lagoon from 2020.
Hypobaric Climate Chamber
We have a hypobaric climate chamber where the concentrations of CO2, CH4, and H2O can be measured in plants or soils subjected to changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature, CO2 concentration, H2O concentration, and photosynthetically active light. It is currently used primarily for: 1) studying the behavior of gas exchanges in plants along an altitudinal gradient, and 2) examining how different climate scenarios affect CO2 and H2O exchanges in plants.
Contact Person:
Lucas Alados Arboledas Email: alados@ugr.es Telf.: 958.249749