Staff at ATDD use a variety of state-of-the-science technologies to conduct research on air quality, weather, climate and atmospheric boundary layer processes.

Air-Surface Exchange

Air-surface exchange is the transfer of energy, momentum, water vapor and air pollutants between the Earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere.  Scientists at ATDD use a variety of instrumental techniques to measure air-surface exchange in support of research investigations in air quality, weather, climate and atmospheric processes.
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Atmospheric Turbulence Probe

Aircraft open the spatial dimension of the atmosphere to observation and study in a highly versatile, three-dimensional way.  When mounted on an aircraft, the “Best” Aircraft Turbulence (BAT) probe provides scientists with vital information concerning the exchange of energy, momentum and air pollutants between the Earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere.
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Forest Micrometeorology

ATDD operates a permanent forest micrometeorology research station at the Chestnut Ridge Environmental Study site, located on the U. S. Department of Energy reservation near Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  The site hosts a 60 m tower that extends 20 meters above the top of the surrounding predominately oak-hickory forest.  The tower supports a variety of environmental and atmospheric measurements related to air-surface exchange between a deciduous forest canopy and the lower atmosphere.
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Unmanned Aircraft

The advent of small-unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for atmospheric research promises to provide new opportunities to make meteorological measurements in the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere.  ATDD uses this technology to measure changes of temperature and relative humidity with altitude, map the temperature and character of the Earth’s surface, and perform storm damage assessment in a way never before available that is faster, cheaper, and safer than using manned aircraft.
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