![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121007085421im_/http://www.arm.gov/images/cms/recoveryact.jpg:40w)
Instrument : Aerosol Observing System (AOS)
Beneficiary of Recovery Act funding.
Instrument Categories
Aerosols
![Aerosol Observing System](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121007085421im_/http://www.arm.gov/instruments/images/aos.jpg:300)
General Overview
The aerosol observing system (AOS) is the primary Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) platform for in situ aerosol measurements at the surface. The principal measurements are those of the aerosol absorption and scattering coefficients as a function of the particle size and radiation wavelength. Additional measurements include those of the particle number concentration, size distribution, hygroscopic growth, and inorganic chemical composition. The AOS measures aerosol optical properties to better understand how particles interact with solar radiation and influence the earth's radiation balance. The measurements are useful for calculating parameters used in radiative forcing calculations such as the aerosol single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter, mass scattering efficiency, and hygroscopic growth. To learn more, see the preliminary data plots.
The first AOS is located at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma and has been operational since the beginning of April 1996. In 2005, a second AOS joined the first ARM Mobile Facility (AMF); the third AOS became operational with the second AMF. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, another mobile AOS joined the ARM Facility and is available for deployments with either ARM Mobile Facility and/or the ARM fixed sites and capable of being deployed independently. For a list of instruments included in the AOS, see the Mobile AOS web page.
In March 2000, a long-term vertical profiling campaign began over the SGP site using a light aircraft. The measurements from the vertical profiles complement the surface measurements because the instrumentation on the airplane is similar to that at the SGP surface site. The aircraft measurements provide information on the aerosol vertical mixing.For more information and data, see the In-situ Aerosol Profiles (IAP) instrument page.
Output Datastreams
- aos : Aerosol Observing System (AOS): aerosol data, 1-min
- aosacsm : AOS: aerosol chemical speciation monitor
- aosccn : Aerosol Observing System (AOS): cloud condensation nuclei data
- aosccn100 : Aerosol Observing System (AOS): cloud condensation nuclei data
- aosccn200 : AOS: Dual Column Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter
- aosclap3w : AOS: 3 wavelength Continous Light Absorption Photometer
- aosco : AOS: Carbon Monoxide Analyzer
- aoscpc : AOS: condensation particle counter
- aoscpcf : AOS: Condensation Particle Counter
- aoscpcu : AOS: Ultrafine Condensation Particle Counter
- aosmet : AOS: aerosol-based meteorology data
- aosnephdry : AOS: ambient nephelometer measurements
- aosnephwet : AOS: humidified nephelometer measurements
- aosnox : AOS: Oxides of Nitrogen Analyzer
- aosozone : AOS: O3 measurements
- aospass3w : AOS: 3 wavelength Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer
- aospsap3w : AOS: 3 wavelength Particle Soot Absorption Photometer
- aossmps : AOS: Scanning-Mobility Particle Sizer
- aossmpstrh : AOS: Scanning-Mobility Particle Sizer; temperature and RH output
- aosso2 : AOS: Sulfur Dioxide Analyzer
- aosuhsas : AOS: Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer
- noaaaos : Aerosol Observing System (AOS): aerosol data, 1-min, mentor-QC applied
Primary Measurements
The following measurements are those considered scientifically relevant.
- Aerosol absorption
- Aerosol concentration
- Aerosol particle size distribution
- Aerosol scattering
- Atmospheric moisture
- Atmospheric pressure
- Atmospheric temperature
- Backscattered radiation
- Cloud condensation nuclei
- Horizontal wind
- Hygroscopic growth
- Inorganic chemical composition
- Organic Carbon Concentration
- Ozone
- Particle number concentration
- Precipitation
- Trace gas concentration
Locations
- Southern Great Plains (SGP)
- Central Facility, Lamont, OK (C1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (FKB)
- Black Forest, Germany (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (GRW)
- Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (HFE)
- Shouxian, Anhui, China (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (NIM)
- Niamey, Niger (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (PGH)
- ARIES Observatory, Nainital, Uttarkhand, India (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (PVC)
- Highland Center, Cape Cod MA; AMF 1 (M1)
- Highland Center, Cape Cod MA; MAOS (S1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (PYE)
- Point Reyes, CA (M1)
- ARM Mobile Facility (SBS)
- Steamboat Springs CO, Christie Peak (S2)
Contact(s)
Fan Mei
(631) 344-8140
fmei@bnl.gov
Yin-Nan Lee
(631) 344-3294
ynlee@bnl.gov
Gunnar Senum
(631) 344-3896
gsenum@bnl.gov
Chongai Kuang
(631) 344-7257
ckuang@bnl.gov
Thomas Watson
(631) 344-4517
twatson@bnl.gov
Manvendra Dubey
(505) 665-3128
dubey@lanl.gov
Stephen Springston
(631) 344-4477
srs@bnl.gov
Arthur Sedlacek
(631) 344-2404
sedlacek@bnl.gov
Richard Coulter
(630) 252-5833
rlcoulter@anl.gov
Anne Jefferson
(303) 497-6493
anne.jefferson@noaa.gov
Patrick Sheridan
associate
(303) 497-6672
patrick.sheridan@noaa.gov