Become a User

The ARM Climate Research Facility is an ideal platform on which to develop and test new instrumental approaches. There are a number of ways that researchers can use ARM’s facilities and data.

  • Access data gathered during normal operations or field campaigns
  • Make an in-person or virtual visit to a site
  • Propose and conduct a field campaign

Costs

There is no "fee" for taking advantage of the ARM scientific infrastructure. In lieu of costs, users are expected to give referential credit to ARM in publications as appropriate.

Accessing the Data

The Data Archive supports the scientific field experiments of the ARM Program by storing and distributing the large quantities of data collected from these experiments. These data are used to research atmospheric radiation balance and cloud feedback processes, which are critical to the understanding of global climate change.

To access data stored in the Archive, you must create an account.

Visiting the Sites

ARM's permanent research sites represent three different climatic regimes: the Southern Great Plains (SGP), the North Slope of Alaska (NSA), and the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP). Respectively, these sites address a range of climatic conditions: (1) variable mid-latitude climate conditions, (2) land and land-sea-ice arctic climate, and (3) the tropical warm pool in the western Pacific Ocean. In addition, the ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) is designed to operate in any environment for campaigns lasting at least 6 months.  The first AMF (AMF1) was deployed in 2005; a second AMF (AMF2) is scheduled for deployment in 2010.

"Virtual" site access involves connecting a PC, instrument, or other device to an ARM site network. The advantage to remote access is the ability to obtain near-real time data without being physically located at the site.

To visit a site, whether in person or via a network, you must fill out and submit the appropriate request form in the Site and Computer Access Request System.

Conducting a Field Campaign

A field campaign is an operation that requires an augmentation of routine data acquisition operation at a site, even for a short period of time.  For example, the support of guest instrumentation at a research site is considered a field campaign.  At the other end of the scale, so is a major field experiment that might include ships or aircraft activities at or near a research site, requiring extensive planning of a year or more. For information and guidelines about proposing a field campaign, see the Campaigns home page.