Atmospheric Observatories
Three heavily instrumented fixed-location atmospheric observatories that represent a broad range of conditions are operated by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility to gather massive amounts of atmospheric data.
Resources
North Slope of Alaska (NSA)
Centered at Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, United States
In addition to the fixed-location observatories, ARM also offers both mobile and aerial facilities.
ARM Mobile Facility (AMF)
Scientists can propose to use one of three AMF to obtain atmospheric measurements, similar to those at the fixed-location observatories, for periods of about a year at a time in undersampled regions around the world.
A mobile facility is currently in Alabama for a long-term deployment in the Bankhead National Forest.
ARM Aerial Facility (AAF)
The AAF obtains aerial measurements in the skies above the fixed-location and AMF observatories. The U.S. Department of Energy funded the purchase of a Bombardier Challenger 850 regional jet to expand ARM’s scientific data capabilities. ARM is also developing uncrewed aerial system and tethered balloon system capabilities to address a wide range of science requirements.
Past Observatories
Data from past deployments of the AMF and AAF, and the former Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) and Oliktok Point, Alaska, observatories, are a valuable asset to researchers worldwide and are easily accessible from the ARM Data Center through Data Discovery.
Observatory Locations at a Glance
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ARM welcomes users from all institutions and nations. A free ARM user account is needed to access ARM Data.
