• 38.560°N 68.860°E 864 m a.s.l.

Observational platform

Germany

• Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS)

• Holger Baars
  Facility PI
• Ronny Engelmann
  Facility PI
• Annett Skupin
  PI deputy

Observational platform. This Central Asian field site is located at the property of the S. U. Umarov Physical-Technical Institute (PhTI) of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The surroundings of the site can be summarized as a residence area with mostly 1-3 story buildings in the eastern part of Dushanbe, about 8 km from the city center. The international airport of Dushanbe is 2 km southwest of the site. During the summer months, atmospheric dust (Aralkum in Summer and local to regional sources during the year, deserts in the West) often dominates the aerosol composition. During the winter months, the aerosols are mostly generated by local and industrial sources.

PhTI is a state-funded institute for the investigation of physical and technical problems. Scientific research is carried out in seven subject areas in the institute's nine departments. The laboratory for Atmospheric Physics (PhTI-LAP) conducts research on:
- Active and passive remote sensing of aerosol and clouds
- Optical and microphysical properties of mineral dust in dust storms using IR, photoaoustic and laser fluorimetry spectroscopy and the diffuse reflectance method,
- The effects of dust storms on the local climate of the region,
- Greenhouse gases in desert, urban and high mountain zones of Tajikistan,
- Solar radiation (global, diffuse radiation), surface albedo,
- The effects of dust storms on the productivity of agricultural crops,
- Long-term measurements as part of the NASA AERONET network and the LOA-PHOTONS group (European coordination of AERONET).

• Hofer et al. (2017). Long-term profiling of mineral dust and pollution aerosol with multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar at the Central Asian site of Dushanbe, Tajikistan: case studies. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17(23), 14559-14577. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14559-2017
• Hofer et al. (2020). Long-term profiling of aerosol light extinction, particle mass, cloud condensation nuclei, and ice-nucleating particle concentration over Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in Central Asia. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20(8), 4695-4711. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4695-2020
• Fomba et al. (2024). The seasonal variation of Asian dust, anthropogenic PM, and their sources in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Atmospheric Environment, 333, 120667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120667