Making More Precise Air Quality, Weather, and Climate Forecasts with ACTRIS-D

Jülich, 5 August 2021 – Germany is obtaining a new infrastructure to research particulate matter, clouds, and trace gases. Distributed across eleven institutions, this contribution to the EU’s research infrastructure ACTRIS will make more accurate air quality, weather, and climate forecasts possible in future. The establishment of “ACTRIS-D” is being launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the “Research for Sustainability” strategy (FONA) with an initial total investment of approx. € 75 million. These funds will be used over the next five years to expand or build a number of fixed and mobile measuring stations as well as laboratories and simulation chambers. A second financing phase to fully establish ACTRIS-D with around € 11 million in funding is scheduled for 2026 to 2029. Forschungszentrum Jülich is involved in calibrating trace gas measurements using its SAPHIR atmospheric simulation chamber and expertise. ACTRIS-D is coordinated by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in Leipzig.