Guidelines for mobile platforms in ACTRIS ARES - version 1

This document provides the official guidelines for the registration, operation, data submission, quality assurance, and data access procedures for mobile aerosol lidar platforms within the ACTRIS Aerosol REmote Sensing (ARES) Data Centre (DC) and the EARLINET network. It covers transportable and moving lidar systems, including shipborne and campaign-based platforms, and defines the requirements necessary to ensure data traceability, quality, and interoperability within the ACTRIS framework. The guidelines describe procedures for: Registration of mobile platforms in the Single Calculus Chain (SCC) and ACTRIS/EARLINET database. Submission and processing of lidar measurements, including geolocation metadata requirements. Configuration and use of the SCC for transportable systems. Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) procedures applicable to mobile platforms. Data publication, access, and discoverability through ACTRIS ARES services. Responsibilities of platform operators and Principal Investigators when instruments are relocated or deployed in new environments. The document aims to support harmonized operations of mobile lidar systems across the ACTRIS Aerosol Remote Sensing (ARS) community, ensuring that measurements collected during campaigns, field deployments, and mobile observations remain scientifically traceable, comparable, and compliant with ACTRIS standards.