Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS): a new instrument suite for the Aerosol Lifecycle (ALC) IOP

Description

The Aerosol Lifecycle (ALC) Intensive Operations Period conducted during mid-June to mid-August 2011, in central Long Island, New York, achieved multiple objectives. Scientifically, the campaign focused on the evolution of aerosol optical properties and secondary organic aerosol formation and processing, as well as CCN formation during multiple, distinct air-flow patterns. The extensive suite of instrumentation within the Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS) attracted collaborative participation by multiple academic, commercial research, DOE, and other government co-investigators. In addition to the MAOS instrument suite, the co-investigators contributed their own measurement capabilities, yielding a rich, combined data set. All instrument mentors were present for this maiden deployment of MAOS and used the opportunity to refine measurement strategies for future deployments. The operators were trained in day-to-day tasks and problem-solving. This training and lessons-learned served as the basis for an extensive Operating Procedures document. The data set (MAOS and Co-Investigators) from the ALC is being made available through the ARM External Data Center (XDC). Long Island and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, have similar environmental conditions, which make the ALC measurements representative of those expected for the Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP) to be held in the summer of 2012.