Field calibration of the rotating shadowband radiometer (RSS) is performed by the RSS instrument mentor (left) and a colleague from SGP operations.

With research facilities around the globe, one of the biggest challenges faced by the ACRF is communication and consistent application of new information and instrument advances. In early August, about 45 ACRF scientists and engineers gathered at the ACRF Southern Great Plains site for a three-day interactive meeting to promote information exchange between instrument mentors and site operations personnel. Meeting participants included instrument mentors, site operations, infrastructure, and data management, and ARM scientists. Due to the success of this meeting and a similar one held in 2003, ACRF management is considering holding this meeting on a regular biannual basis.

The meeting was organized with classroom sessions and hands-on sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. The classroom sessions allowed for joint discussion of instrument operation and maintenance, as well as changes, problems, plans, and other issues, while the hands-on sessions permitted direct interactions with the instruments. This approach benefited new and experienced mentors and site operations personnel alike. The Wednesday sessions allowed interactions between the Instrument Team and members of other ACRF functional teams to discuss issues of mutual interest. Each site operations team introduced (or reintroduced) the instrument team members to their staffs, and discussed their capabilities, procedures, needs, and record systems as they affect interaction with the instrument mentors. On Wednesday afternoon the group discussed various instrument mentor issues.