Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility

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Argonne scientists study climate change

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science provided $60 million in ARRA funding for climate research to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility, a DOE national user facility that has been operating climate observing sites around the world for nearly two decades. These sites help scientists study clouds and their influence on the sun’s radiant energy, which heats our planet. Above is one of the purchases: the Vaisala Present Weather Detector. It optically measures visibility, present weather, precipitation intensity, and precipitation type. It provides a measure of current weather conditions by combining measurements from three independent sensors; a rain sensor, a temperature sensor, and a visibility sensor. Argonne scientists Brad Orr and Mike Ritsche are assembling the device. Photo by George Joch / courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.

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Argonne scientists study climate change
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science provided $60 million in ARRA funding for climate research to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility, a DOE national user facility that has been operating climate observing sites around the world for nearly two decades. These sites help scientists study clouds and their influence on the sun’s radiant energy, which heats our planet. Above is one of the purchases: the Vaisala Present Weather Detector. It optically measures visibility, present weather, precipitation intensity, and precipitation type. It provides a measure of current weather conditions by combining measurements from three independent sensors; a rain sensor, a temperature sensor, and a visibility sensor. Argonne scientists Brad Orr and Mike Ritsche are assembling the device. Photo by George Joch / courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
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Locations of ARM sites
More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
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Atqasuk Alaska
Surface Meterology instrumentation. Atgasuk, Alaska--North Slope of Alaska site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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ARM Facility
Radiometers (foreground) and Microwave Radiometer. Darwin site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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Lamont Oklahoma
Solar Radiometers at the ARM Southern Great Plains site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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Barrow Alaska
More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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Nauru
More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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AAF Aircraft
ARM Aerial Facility -- G-1 research aircraft. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate. Photo by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
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AAF Twin Otter
ARM Aerial Facility -- Twin Offer research aircraft. Ponca City, Oklahoma. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate. Photo by Mark Roberts Photography.
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AAF Proteus
ARM Aerial Facility -- Proteus -- unmanned aerospace vehicle platform for climate research. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate. Photo by Richard L. Jones.
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AMF Germany
The ARM mobile facility deployed in the Black Forest, Germany (2007). More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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AMF China
The ARM mobile facility deployed in Shouxian, China (2008). More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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ARM Facility
Rawinsonde launch at ARM's Southern Great Plains site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate. Photo by Mark Roberts Photography.
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Lamont Oklahoma
More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate. Photo by Mark Roberts Photography.
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MWR Lamont Oklahoma
Microwave radiometers at ARM Facility sites measure column-integrated amounts of water vapor and liquid water. One is located at each ARM Facility site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate. Photo by Mark Roberts Photography.
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RWP Lamont Oklahoma
Radar Wind Profiler with Radio Acoustic Sounding System, located at ARM's Southern Great Plains site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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RLID Lamont Oklahoma
Raman lidar equipment at ARM's Southern Great Plains site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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Aerosols Lamont Oklahoma
Aerosol Observing System, located at ARM's Southern Great Plains site. More information about the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility can be found at its website. Argonne manages operations for the ARM Facility, whose goals include improving our understanding of how clouds and atmospheric moisture interact with solar radiation and the effects of these interactions on climate.
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ARM Facility AMF2 sendoff
From left to right: Brad Orr (CELS), Richard Coulter (EVS), Eric Isaacs, laboratory director and Rick Stevens, associate laboratory director (CELS) stand in front of the W-band Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Cloud Radar (WACR).
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ARM Facility AMF2 sendoff
Douglas Sisterson (CELS) presents the new equipment of the AMF2.
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ARM Facility AMF2 sendoff
The new equipment of the AMF2 will make its way to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for the Storm Peak Laboratory Cloud Property Validation Experiment (STORMVEX).
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ARM Facility AMF2 sendoff
Richard Coulter (EVS) presents a part of the second ARM Mobile Facility, or AMF2, to Dr. Eric Isaacs, laboratory director, inside one of the trailers.