Spectroscopy, Quantum Chemistry and Atmospheric Remote Sensing
Home Members Teaching Quantum Chemistry
& Atomic Physics
Experimental Spectroscopy Atmospheric
Spectroscopy
Vacancies
P. Coheur
S. Bauduin
C. Clerbaux
L. Clarisse
D. Hurtmans
C. Wespes
M. Van Damme
B. Franco
R. Astoreca
S. Whitburn
M. Es-Sayeh
H. De Longueville
G. Lecomte
L. Noppen

Spectroscopic measurements of the composition and processes in the Earth's atmosphere.

Our activities are mainly centred on the sounding of atmospheric composition from satellites, with our main field of expertise being atmospheric radiative transfer in the infrared. We develop and maintain state-of-the-art RT software, which are used along with inverse methods to retrieve atmospheric trace gas concentrations and aerosol properties. We take an active part to several space missions for the sounding of the low Earth’s Atmosphere (IASI, ACE, GOSAT), and also contribute to the preparation of future programs under auspices of ESA, EUMETSAT and CNES.

Our research is at present deeply connected to the infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer (IASI) mission [1][2]. Concentration distributions of reactive trace gases and aerosols are retrieved routinely from IASI measurements, and examined on various spatial and temporal scales. Applications range from global pollution monitoring (identification and quantification of sources and transport) and the assessment of environmental impacts, to the study of local plume chemistry. They also include several operational aspects, e.g. in air quality forecasting and volcanic surveillance.

Full list of publications. For information on Master's theses (“mémoires”) click here.

Current involvement in research projects

  • Climate Change Initiative – Ozone CCI+ (ESA)
  • IASI Flux and temperature - IASI-FT (EU-H2020)
  • Copernicus Climate Change Service, Atmospheric composition ECVs-C3S2_312a_Lot2 (ECMWF)
  • Hyperspectral infrared sounding missions for the atmosphere – HIRS (ESA/Belspo Prodex)
  • Satellite Application Facility on Atmospheric Composition Monitoring – ACSAF (EUMETSAT)
  • Satellite Application Facility on Atmospheric Chemistry Monitoring, Belgian contribution to the fourth Continuous Development and Operations Phase – B-ACSAF (ESA/Belspo Prodex)

Past projects in the last 6 years

  • 2018-2021: Copernicus Climate Change Service, Atmospheric composition ECVs-C3S_312b_Lot2 (ECMWF)
  • 2017-2021: Oxygenated organic Compounds in the Tropical Atmosphere: Variability and atmosphere-biosphere Exchanges – OCTAVE (Belspo-BRAIN)
  • 2016-2021: CaRbon species in the Atmosphere of Mars from Infrared Composition sounders – CRAMIC (F.R.S.-FNRS)
  • 2016-2020: Infrared Atmospheric Sounding with IASI and Follow-on missions - IASI.Flow (ESA/Belspo Prodex)
  • 2016-2019: European Natural Disaster Coordination and Information System for Aviation - EUNADICS-AV (EU-H2020)
  • 2017-2018: Copernicus Climate Change Service, Production of ECV Datasets based on Earth Observations (Lot 5: Aerosols Properties)-C3S_312a_Lot5 (ECMWF)
  • 2014-2018: Quality Assurance for Essential Climate Variables - QA4ECV (EU-FP7)
  • 2014-2017: Climate Change Initiative - Ozone (ESA)
  • 2014-2017: Climate Change Initiative - Aerosols (ESA)
  • 2015-2016: Improved quality indicators for MTG IRS L2 products (EUMETSAT)
  • 2014-2016: PArtnership with chiNa on space DAta - PANDA (EU-FP7)
  • 2011-2015: Effects of Climate Change on Air Pollution and Response Strategies for European Ecosystems - ECLAIRE (EU-FP7)
  • 2012-2014: The synergistic SWIR and IR retrievals of near-surface concentrations of CH4 and CO for Earth and Planetary atmospheres - SIROCCO (ESA)
  • 2012-2013: Support to aviation Control Service - SACS2 (ESA)
  • 2010-2013: Atmospheric Composition, Chemistry and Climate- A3C (ESA/Belspo Prodex)
  • 2009-2012: Support to aviation Control Service - SACS+ (ESA).
  • 2009-2011: European Volcano Observatory Space Services - EVOSS (EU-FP7)

Useful links

Past members

  • Réginald Colin, University Professor, now retired
  • Michel Carleer, Professor, now retired
  • Brice Barret, 11.2003-06.2005, now at Laboratoire d’Aérologie, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
  • Hervé Herbin, 03.2006-08.2008, now at Laboratoire d’Optique Atmosphérique, Université de Lille 1, Lille, France
  • Antoine Depauw, 11.2007-09.2009.
  • Oliver Scharf, 01.2008-10.2008, now at Institut für Angewandte Photonik, Berlin, Germany
  • Sophie Fally, 2001-2009, now at “Département de support aux activités académiques”, Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB, Belgium
  • Federico Karagulian, 01.2009-12.2009, now at Ricardo-AEA, UK
  • Michael Theunissen, 09.2009-08.2010, now at European School Uccle, Brussels, Belgium
  • Robin Campion, 01.2012-04.2012, now at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Department of Vulcanology, Mexico
  • Valentin Duflot, 01.2012-06.2013, now at Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de La Réunion, Saint-Denis de la Réunion, France
  • Yasmina R’honi, 02.2010-10.2013, now at European School Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
  • Jean-Lionel Lacour, 09.2009-12.2014, now at Laboratoire atmosphères, milieux et observations spatiales, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
  • Yasmine Ngadi, 09.2010-12.2015
  • Anna Kopp, 11.2016-11.2017
  • Gaétane Ronsmans, 11.2014-11.2018
  • Stamatia Doniki, 11.2012-08.2019
  • Alexandre Deguine, 01.2019-03.2021

Past master students (from 2005)

  • Tam Hau Nguyen Ba (Physics, 2005), now artistic director and danser at Splanchnik company
  • Christelle Polart (Bioengineer, 2006), now at AIB Vinçotte, Brussels, Belgium
  • Naim Rahal (Chemistry, 2006), now at Microgravity Research Center, “Université Libre de Bruxelles”, Brussels, Belgium
  • Ariane Razavi (Physics, 2006), now at “Université Saint-Louis”, Brussels, Belgium
  • Yannick Willame (Physics, 2007), now at Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium
  • François Stevens (Physics, 2007), now at “Université Catholique de Louvain”, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
  • Barbara Santos (Physics, 2010), now at XTREME technologies, Gmbh, Aachen, Germany
  • Guillaume Chaumont (Bioengineer, 2012), now at Group-IPS, SC Mariners, Brussels, Belgium
  • Mauro Tomasi (Environmental Sciences, 2012), now at European Commission (SG SANTE), Brussels, Belgium
  • Manon Urbain (Environmental Sciences, 2013), now at Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute, Brussels, Belgium
  • Juliane Roty (Environmental Sciences,2013)
  • Gaëlle Herremans (Environmental Sciences, 2013)
  • Yannick Vrancx (Chemistry, 2013)
  • Nicolas Martinez (Chemistry, 2014)
  • Perrine Delaunoy (Environmental Sciences, 2015)
  • Sophie Ibrahim (Bioengineer, 2016)
  • Christophe Dijkmans (Environmental Sciences, 2017)
  • Gilles Lecomte (Chemistry, 2018)
  • Lola Dingeon (Chemistry, 2018)
  • Joana Pinto Seixas (Chemistry, 2019)
  • Merlin Velghe (Environmental Sciences, 2019)
  • Luna De Coster (Environmental Sciences, 2019)
  • Hélène De Longueville (Chemistry, 2019)
  • David Fueyo-Rodriguez (Environmental Sciences, 2020)
  • Raphaelle De Cruyenaere (Chemistry, 2020)
  • Winter Dong Bui (Chemistry, 2020)
  • Louise Sellekaerts (Environmental Sciences, 2021)
  • Fatima Hajji (Chemistry, 2021)
  • Alexandra Gniewczynska (Chemistry, 2021)
  • Paul Wouters (Chemistry, 2021)
  • Loïc Francotte (Chemistry, 2021)
  • Pauline Willame (Chemistry, 2021)

Université Libre de Bruxelles – Faculté des Sciences