EuBrewNet – A European Brewer network (COST Action ES1207), an overview [Discussion paper]

Abstract

COST Action ES1207, EuBrewNet, was proposed to coordinate Brewer Spectrophotometer measurements of ozone, spectral UV and aerosol optical depth (AOD-UV) in the UV within Europe, and unite the ozone, UV and AOD communities, through a formally managed European Brewer Network capable of delivering a consistent, spatially homogeneous European data resource, significant for the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the World Ozone and UV Data Centre (WOUDC), the International Ozone Commission (IO3C), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and the ozone trend assessment panels. Around 50 Brewer Spectrophotometers are deployed in Europe, independently funded by national agencies, each were duplicating effort to achieve separately best practice and accuracy. EuBrewNet was established to remove this disparity, establish knowledge exchange and training, and open up a route to links with international agencies and other networks globally. New instrument characterisation, calibration and consistent data processing algorithms have been developed and applied with a new near real time database providing a range of data products resulting from centralised processing algorithms and quality control methods. Governance of the new network, which has already expanded beyond the boundaries of Europe, will be overseen directly by the WMO Scientific Advisory Groups.