Spectroscopy, Quantum Chemistry and Atmospheric Remote Sensing

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.

Brussels laboratory of the Universe (BLU – ULB) - Earth atmosphere.

Planetary atmospheres.

Our research activities consist of the remote sensing of terrestrial planets, and more especially on the sounding of their atmospheres composition. In particular, at the moment, our work is mainly focused on the Mars atmosphere. We conduct analyses of the observations taken by the PFS (Planetary Fourier Spectrometer) instrument onboard the Mars Express mission (ESA). We develop new retrieval schemes to improve the detection and quantification of trace species in the Martian atmosphere with the goal of improving the understanding of the atmospheric composition and chemistry. We are also involved in the science team of NOMAD, the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery instrument onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (ESA).

Brussels laboratory of the Universe (BLU – ULB) - Planetary atmospheres.

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

Current involvement in research projects

Climate Change Initiative – Ozone CCI+ (ESA)
Copernicus Climate Change Service, Atmospheric composition ECVs-C3S2_313a_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

2021-2024: Copernicus Climate Change Service, Atmospheric composition ECVs-C3S2_312a_Lot2 (ECMWF)
2017-2024: IASI Flux and temperature - IASI-FT (EU-H2020)
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
Jimmy Bouche, 2017-2021
Alexandre Deguine, 01.2019-03.2021
Hélène De Longueville, 2019-2023

Past master students (from 2005)

Tam Hau Nguyen Ba (Physics, 2005)
Christelle Polart (Bioengineer, 2006)
Naim Rahal (Chemistry, 2006)
Ariane Razavi (Physics, 2006)
Yannick Willame (Physics, 2007)
François Stevens (Physics, 2007)
Barbara Santos (Physics, 2010)
Guillaume Chaumont (Bioengineer, 2012)
Mauro Tomasi (Environmental Sciences, 2012)
Manon Urbain (Environmental Sciences, 2013)
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)
Lucien Creteur (Environmental Sciences, 2022)
Gil Demuynck (Chemistry, 2022)
Lara Oxbury Taylor (Chemistry, 2022)
Zoé Bourdonge (Bioengineer, 2022)
Sarah Gardiol (Environmental Sciences, 2022)
Apolline Tricard (Environmental Sciences, 2022)
Zoé Bassée (Environmental Sciences, 2023)
Laurence Müllender (Environmental Sciences, 2023)
Alexis Giaprakis (Chemistry, 2023)
Aaron Yangambi Libote (Environmental Sciences, 2023)
Antoine Comiant (Environmental Sciences, 2024)
Sylvie Havaux (Chemistry, 2024)
Manon Hermans (Chemistry, 2024)
Dewever Giulia (Bioengineer, 2024)
Navarrete Saavedra Benjamin (Environmental Sciences, 2024)