Instrument and scientific capabilities in the ARM Aerial Facility
Authors
Jennifer M. Comstock — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Jason Tomlinson — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
John Hubbe — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Celine Delphine Kluzek — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Duli Chand — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Mikhail S. Pekour — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Beat Schmid — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Description
The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s Aerial Facility (AAF) deploys aircraft-based instruments for understanding aerosol, cloud, and radiative processes in the atmosphere. Airborne measurements enhance the long-term ground-based ARM measurements by supplying a means for evaluating and improving remote sensing retrieval algorithms, detailed information in situ not easily measured remotely, and data sets for testing and evaluating model simulations. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ARM acquired a number of new capabilities for observing atmospheric processes. A detailed list is found at http://www.arm.gov/sites/aaf/instruments. Characterization of these instruments provides insight into their scientific capabilities. We will highlight several new instrument capabilities for measuring aerosol, cloud, and radiative properties through our analysis of instrument performance characteristics during recent ARM field campaigns. Standardization of AAF data formats, such as ICARTT and IWGADTS, used to promote airborne measurements usage throughout the scientific community will also be discussed.
