The Joint Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign (JATAC) used ground-based, aircraft, and balloon measurements to validate data provided by ESA's Aeolus satellite and support related science activities on the interaction of wind, dust, and clouds. ESA’s Aeolus satellite observations are expected to have the biggest impact on the improvement of numerical weather prediction in the tropics. An important case relating to the predictability of tropical weather systems is the outflow of Saharan dust, its interaction with cloud microphysics, and its impact on the development of tropical storms over the Atlantic Ocean. JATAC, deployed over Cabo Verde (2021–2022) and the US Virgin Islands (2021), supported the validation and preparation of the ESA Aeolus, EarthCARE, and WIVERN missions. It also addressed science objectives regarding the Saharan aerosol layer, the African easterly waves and jet, the tropical easterly jet, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (including their relation to the formation of convective systems) as well as the long-range transport of dust and its impact on air quality.

This special issue (SI) collects the studies that utilized the synergy of remote sensing, surface-based, and airborne observations to address the satellite validation objectives and spatio-temporal representativeness of the different atmospheric measurement techniques. The SI studies bring together different observations from the individual ground-based and airborne campaign activities that have taken place in the frame of JATAC, to demonstrate the added value of the synergistic use of different measurements and platforms to address open science questions related to dynamics and the interactions of aerosols with clouds and radiation.

SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research) Working Group 167 (Reducing Uncertainty in Soluble aerosol Trace Element Deposition, RUSTED), appointed in October 2022, brings together experts from the atmospheric chemistry, ocean biogeochemistry, and modelling communities. Aiming to reduce uncertainties in soluble aerosol trace element deposition, RUSTED will quantitatively assess different aerosol leaching schemes; formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for frequently used aerosol leaching schemes; and develop a user-friendly, open-access database of aerosol trace element data which includes advice on the use of the data in Earth system models.

In this special issue, we propose to curate cutting-edge studies which advance our knowledge of the deposition of soluble aerosol trace elements and their impacts on marine ecosystems. We also encourage the submission of manuscripts which address challenges and/or report recent advances in the field of aerosol trace element deposition from researchers outside the working group.

This special issue consists of papers that describe the modelling, observations, and analysis of data related to the ACROSS (Atmospheric Chemistry of the Suburban Forest) field measurement campaign that took place in summer 2022 in the Paris region. It could also include papers describing new instrumentation or new instrumental configurations used during the campaign. Any papers directly related to the ACROSS project are welcome for submittal to this special issue.