GMD Site Description: BRW
Barrow, Alaska, United States [BRW]
CountryCountry Flag
United States
Latitude:71.3200° North
Longitude:156.6° West
Elevation: 11.00 masl
Time Zone: Local Time + 9 hour(s) = UTC
Contact Name: Dan Endres
Address: Barrow Observatory
P.O. Box 888
Barrow, Alaska, 99723, United States
Phone:(907) 852-6500
Fax:(907) 852-4622

Atmospheric Transport
Most Recent Trajectory
Clustered summary of Trajectories

Photo Gallery


Description
Barrow Observatory, established in 1973, is located near sea level 8 km east of Barrow, Alaska at 71.32 degrees north. This facility is manned year around by 2 engineers/scientists who often commute to work in winter on snow machines. Due to its unique location, dedicated and highly trained staff, excellent power and communications infrastructure, the Barrow Observatory is host to numerous cooperative research projects from around the world.

BRW is located so that it receives minimal influence from anthropogenic effects. It is about 8 km northeast of the village of Barrow and has a prevailing east-northeast wind off the Beaufort Sea. It is attended at least 5 days a week for routine inspection and maintenance of the instrumentation. In addition, the National Weather Service (NWS) maintains a weather observing facility in Barrow. Although the measurements at Barrow are made over open tundra, there are large lagoons and a number of lakes in the vicinity, and the Arctic Ocean is less than 3 km northwest of the site. Because of its proximity to these bodies of water and the fact that the prevailing winds are off the Beaufort Sea, BRW is perhaps best characterized as having an Arctic maritime climate affected by variations of weather and sea ice conditions in the Central Arctic.

 

GMD Projects at Barrow, Alaska

Carbon Cycle Surface Flasks

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Carbon Dioxide CO2 1971-05-03 2008-11-22
Methane CH4 1983-04-06 2008-11-22
Carbon Monoxide CO 1988-07-24 2008-11-22
Molecular Hydrogen H2 1988-07-24 2008-11-22
Nitrous Oxide N2O 1997-05-07 2008-11-22
Sulfur Hexafluoride SF6 1997-05-02 2008-11-22
Carbon-13/Carbon-12 in Carbon Dioxide d13C (CO2) 1990-01-22 2008-10-24
Oxygen-18/Oxygen-16 in Carbon Dioxide d18O (CO2) 1990-02-05 2008-10-31
Carbon-13/Carbon-12 in Methane d13C (CH4) 1998-01-03 2008-07-03
D/H in Methane dD (CH4) 2005-04-01 2008-07-17
methyl chloride CH3Cl 2005-06-10 2008-05-24
Benzene C6H6 2007-02-16 2008-05-24
toluene C7H8 2007-02-16 2008-05-24
ethane C2H6 2005-06-10 2008-05-24
ethene C2H4 2005-06-10 2008-04-12
propane C3H8 2005-05-20 2008-05-24
propene C3H6 2005-06-10 2008-04-12
i-butane i-C4H10 2005-06-10 2008-05-24
n-butane n-C4H10 2005-06-10 2008-05-24
i-pentane i-C5H12 2005-05-20 2008-05-24
n-pentane n-C5H12 2005-06-10 2008-05-24
n-hexane n-C6H14 2005-05-20 2008-05-24
wind speed 1992-07-10 2008-12-02
wind direction 1992-07-10 2008-12-02
ambient temperature 2004-08-21 2004-09-13
isoprene C5H8 2007-02-16 2008-05-24

Carbon Cycle In Situ Observatory

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Carbon Dioxide CO2 1973-07-24 2008-12-10
Methane CH4 1986-01-29 2008-12-10
Carbon Monoxide CO 1991-12-31 2008-12-10

HATS Flask Sampling

HATS In Situ Observatory

Aerosol Surface, Continuous Measurements

The Barrow station began measuring aerosol radiative properties in 1976. Since 1988, simultaneous measurements of light absorption and light scattering (as a function of wavelength) have been made. A major upgrade of the aerosol sampling system was completed on October 5, 1997. The new system was funded by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE/ARM). The new system provides aerosol measurements that are quantitatively comparable to measurements at other NOAA/CMDL and DOE/ARM sites. In addition to improved instrumentation, the new system measures aerosol properties in two particle size ranges at a controlled relative humidity. The old and new systems were operated in parallel for one year to evaluate any potential biases introduced in to the long time series of aerosol measurements at Barrow. The new system was referred to as North Slope of Alaska (NSA) during the overlap period. A comparison of the measurements shows good agreement between the old and new systems. April 2002 provided an opportunity to observe Asian dust at Barrow.

Continuous Radiation Measurements

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Direct Beam 1985-01-01 Ongoing
Shortwave Global 1976-02-18 Ongoing
Diffuse 1995-07-05 Ongoing
Reflected Shortwave 1985-01-01 Ongoing
Downward Longwave 1993-04-20 Ongoing
Upward Longwave 1993-04-26 Ongoing

Ultraviolet Radiation

Surface Ozone

Dobson Ozone

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
Total Ozone Total Ozone 1973-07-29 2005-10-17

Trajectories

Meteorology

Parameter Formula First Sample Date Most Recent Sample Date
wind speed 2 meters 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Wind Direction 2 Meters 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Wind Speed 10 Meters 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Wind Direction 10 Meters 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Wind Speed Top 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Wind Direction Top 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Barometric Pressure 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Relative Humidity 2 Meters 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Temperature 2 Meters 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Temperature 10 Meters 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
temperature Top 2008-01-01 2008-10-26
Precipitation 2008-01-01 2008-10-26