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General Information
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program
The ARM Climate Research Facility, a DOE scientific user facility, provides the climate research community with strategically located in situ and remote sensing observatories designed to improve the understanding and representation, in climate and earth system models, of clouds and aerosols as well as their interactions and coupling with the Earth’s surface. BNL is actively involved in several ARM facilities and in a variety of ARM field studies.
ARM Facilities
The ARM External Data Center (XDC) identifies sources and acquires data, called "external data", to augment the data generated within the program. The scientific need and the priorities for acquiring, processing and archiving the external data-streams are established by the science working groups and considers such factors as availability and accessibility in other archives, acquisition cost, and ease of use of the native data-format.
Cloud Lifecycle Infrastructure
The cloud lifecycle infrastructure group at BNL is responsible for the development and production of cloud-related datasets. A major focus of these production activities is the retrieval of geophysical properties from millimeter cloud radar observations and routine atmospheric soundings. BNL also provides mentorships for ARM instruments and datastreams.
The Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS) is a platform and instrument suite for Intensive Operation Periods (IOPs) to conduct in-situ measurements of aerosols and their precursors. MAOS is part of the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF). Physically MAOS is contained in two 20’ SeaTainers custom adapted to provide a sheltered laboratory environment for operators and instruments even under harsh conditions. The two structures are designated MAOS-A and MAOS-C for Aerosol and Chemistry respectively. Although independent, with separate data systems, inlets and power distribution, the two structures are normally a single operating unit.