Atmospheric effects in astroparticle physics experiments and the challenge of ever greater precision in measurements

•Experiments using the atmosphere as part of their detector require a continuous monitoring of atmospheric properties.•Systematic uncertainties related to the atmosphere become a limiting factor in measurements.•This review presents the different atmospheric effects to consider in the wavelength range 300–1100 nm.•A non-exhaustive list of instruments and techniques to monitor the atmosphere is given.•A discussion on interdisciplinary sciences is proposed about the link between astroparticle physics and Earth sciences.

Astroparticle physics and cosmology allow us to scan the universe through multiple messengers. It is the combination of these probes that improves our understanding of the universe, both in its composition and its dynamics. Unlike other areas in science, research in astroparticle physics has a real originality in detection techniques, in infrastructure locations, and in the observed physical phenomenon that is not created directly by humans. It is these features that make the minimisation of statistical and systematic errors a perpetual challenge. In all these projects, the environment is turned into a detector medium or a target. The atmosphere is probably the environment component the most common in astroparticle physics and requires a continuous monitoring of its properties to minimise as much as possible the systematic uncertainties associated. This paper introduces the different atmospheric effects to take into account in astroparticle physics measurements and provides a non-exhaustive list of techniques and instruments to monitor the different elements composing the atmosphere. A discussion on the close link between astroparticle physics and Earth sciences ends this paper.