Demonstrating the Potential for First-Class Research in Underdeveloped Countries: Research on Stratospheric Aerosols and Cirrus Clouds Optical Properties, and Radiative Effects in Cuba (1988–2010)
Optical properties of stratospheric aerosols and cirrus clouds and their radiative effects are currently important subjects of research worldwide. Those investigations are typical of developed countries, conducted by several highly specialized groups dedicated separately to instrumental observations, their interpretation in the context of the weather and climate, and the numerical simulation of their radiative effects. In Camaguey, Cuba, the Grupo de Optica Atmosferica de Camaguey [Optics Atmospheric Group of Camaguey (GOAC)] has been conducting all those research projects together for a little more than 20 years, following a self-designed long-term strategy. The results of the strategy applied by GOAC demonstrates that, even in the conditions of an underdeveloped country, it is possible to build local scientific and technical capacities for conducting state-of-the-art research for the benefit of society, both locally and worldwide.