Operations Updates
ARM Climate Research Facility Operations Update - July 31, 2007
This bimonthly report provides a brief summary of significant accomplishments and activities in the operations area of the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF).
Multifilter Radiometer Added to Cessna Payload
Back at the hangar in Ponca City, a multifilter radiometer is positioned inside the Cessna's new starboard wingtip extension.
Downward-facing multifilter radiometers (MFR) are instruments used to measure the intensity and distribution of reflected energy from different surfaces, such as grass or dirt. The relative amount of reflected energy—also called "surface spectral albedo"—is important for determining the amount of energy exchanged between the surface and atmosphere in a given location. In May, an MFR was added to the instrument payload on the Cessna 206, which acquires routine in-situ aerosol profiles and carbon measurements at the ACRF Southern Great Plains (SGP) site.
Historically at the SGP site, surface spectral albedo measurements were only possible using downward facing MFRs positioned at the 25-m level of the 60-m tower in a wheat field at the SGP Central Facility, and on a 10-m tower in the adjoining pasture. This limited spatial coverage resulted in a very narrow dataset. The addition of an MFR to the Cessna payload allows routine measurements of surface spectral albedo over a much broader area around the SGP Central Facility.
Modification to the Cessna required new wing-tip extenders and rewiring for the data acquisition system. Installation of the new larger wingtips took place in Wichita, Kansas, with modification of the starboard wingtip to accommodate the MFR. The plane was then flown back to its field base in Ponca City for installation of the MFR instrument.
Review of ACRF Infrastructure Completed
In May, the Department of Energy's Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee (BERAC) published findings and recommendations from their assessment of the effectiveness of ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) as a national scientific user facility. Based on a review of total user requests, the BERAC concluded that the ACRF was being effectively used by the broader scientific community, not just the ARM Program. They also stated that cost cutting measures had achieved the desired efficiency goals, but further cuts could impair the Facility's operations. The subcommittee reinforced the importance of the scientific impacts of this facility (including publications), and the value it has had for the international research community. The full report is available on the DOE website.
In February of this year, the ACRF management team presented formal evidence to a BERAC subcommittee in three primary areas: (1) effectiveness as user facility; (2) cost effectiveness in several categories; and (3) implementation of recommendations from a prior review. In their report, the subcommittee recognized the ARM Mobile Facility as a key element of non-ARM user interest. They also gave high marks for meeting metrics for cost effectiveness and operational efficiency, noting the instrument uptime as impressive and valuable. They also commented positively on the significant progress made on suggestions for improvement from the BERAC review from 2005, noting improvements to the ARM website, data delivery, and program outreach. The ACRF Infrastructure Management Board has prepared an action plan to respond to findings from this latest review and will work to implement the needed changes in a prioritized fashion.
