Expanded capabilities of the Eastern North Atlantic Site

Description

Situated off the coast of Portugal in the Azores, Graciosa Island hosts one of ARM’s newest observation facilities, the Eastern North Atlantic, or ENA. The ENA site provides a rare data set from the subtropical marine boundary layer where climate models show the greatest discrepancy in how clouds change. ENA data support climate and process-based numerical climate models, which require statistically robust and physically accurate observational data sets obtained over long periods of time. ARM, through Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), began working on international contracts, site design, and instrument selection in late 2012 and shipped the first 12 instrument systems to Graciosa Island for installation in late September of 2013. Over the summer months of 2014 many new instruments were added. An eddy correlation flux with surface energy balance system (ECOR/SEBS) was added to estimate the total surface energy balance. Also added was a Ka ARM zenith radar (KAZR), Ka-W Band Scanning ARM Cloud Radar, Radar Wind Profiler, Doppler Lidar, and 2-D video disdrometer . In spring 2015 a Raman Lidar, an X-band Scanning ARM Precipitation Radar, an Atmospheric Sounder Spectrometer for Infrared Spectral Technology (ASSIST), and a CO2/CH4/H2O instrument will be installed. Besides showcasing all the new capabilities of this new facility, this presentation will aim to promote discussion about the potential for the facilities use in collaborative efforts in support of atmospheric and climatic sciences.