Capabilities > Instruments

AOS

Handbook Cite Data Browse Data
 

aos: Aerosol Observing System

The aerosol observing system (AOS) is the primary platform for in situ aerosol measurements at Earth’s surface. Each AOS has a different complement of instruments, which are selected to ensure the best measurements at each deployment site.

The AOS measures aerosol optical properties to better understand how particles interact with solar radiation and influence the Earth’s radiation balance. These measurements are useful for calculating parameters used in radiative forcing calculations, such as the aerosol single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter, mass scattering efficiency, and hygroscopic growth. Measurements made with the AOS form a long-term record at the ARM fixed sites. Shorter measurement records are available from mobile deployments at a wide variety of geographical regions.  These measurements are valuable for:

  • identifying long-term changes in aerosol properties
  • identifying atmospheric processes controlling aerosol life cycle and their influence on clouds
  • providing experimental data for developing and testing atmospheric climate models.
View AOS Core Configuration Learn AOS History Discover AOS Future

Measurements

Aerosol absorption Atmospheric moisture Methane concentration
Aerosol backscattered radiation Backscattered radiation Ozone
Aerosol concentration Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration Ozone Concentration
Aerosol particle size Cloud condensation nuclei Particle number concentration
Aerosol particle size distribution Hygroscopic growth Particle size distribution
Aerosol scattering Inorganic chemical composition

Locations

  • Fixed
  • AMF1
  • AMF2
  • AMF3

Components

acsm: Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor

aeth: Aethalometer

aosmet: Meteorological Measurements associated with the Aerosol Observing System

aps: Aerodynamic Particle Sizer

caps-pmex: Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift Extinction Monitor

ccn: Cloud Condensation Nuclei Particle Counter

clap: Continuous Light Absorption Photometer

co-analyzer: Carbon Monoxide Analyzer

cpc: Condensation Particle Counter

ghg: Greenhouse Gas Monitor

htdma: Humidified Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer

nephelometer: Nephelometer

nox: Nitrogen Oxides Monitor

ozone: Ozone Monitor

pass: Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer

pils: Particle Into Liquid Sampler

psap: Particle Soot Absorption Photometer

ptr-ms: Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer

smps: Scanning mobility particle sizer

so2: Sulfur Dioxide Monitor

sp2: Single Particle Soot Photometer

tap: Tricolor Absorption Photometer

tracegas: Trace gas concentrations

uhsas: Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer

Related Publications

2019

Schiro K and J Neelin. 2019. "Deep Convective Organization, Moisture Vertical Structure and Convective Transition using Deep-Inflow Mixing." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 76(4), 10.1175/JAS-D-18-0122.1.

2018

Brown H, X Liu, Y Feng, Y Jiang, M Wu, Z Lu, C Wu, S Murphy, and R Pokhrel. 2018. "Radiative effect and climate impacts of brown carbon with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5)." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(24), doi: 10.5194/acp-18-17745-2018.

Zheng G, Y Wang, A Aiken, F Gallo, M Jensen, P Kollias, C Kuang, E Luke, S Springston, J Uin, R Wood, and J Wang. 2018. "Marine boundary layer aerosol in the eastern North Atlantic: seasonal variations and key controlling processes." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(23), doi:10.5194/acp-18-17615-2018.
Research Highlight

DeMott PJ, TC Hill, and G McFarquhar. 2018. Measurements of Aerosols, Radiation, and Clouds over the Southern Ocean (MARCUS) Ice Nucleating Particle Measurements Field Campaign Report. Ed. by Robert Stafford, ARM user facility. DOE/SC-ARM-18-031.

Cirino G, J Brito, H Barbosa, L Rizzo, P Tunved, S de Sá, J Jimenez, B Palm, S Carbone, J Lavric, R Souza, S Wolff, D Walter, J Tota, M Oliveira, S Martin, and P Artaxo. 2018. "Observations of Manaus urban plume evolution and interaction with biogenic emissions in GoAmazon 2014/5." Atmospheric Environment, 191, 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.08.031.

Wimmer D, S Buenrostro Mazon, H Manninen, J Kangasluoma, A Franchin, T Nieminen, J Backman, J Wang, C Kuang, R Krejci, J Brito, F Goncalves Morais, S Martin, P Artaxo, M Kulmala, V Kerminen, and T Petäjä. 2018. "Ground-based observation of clusters and nucleation-mode particles in the Amazon." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(17), 10.5194/acp-18-13245-2018.

Norgren M, G de Boer, and M Shupe. 2018. "Observed aerosol suppression of cloud ice in low-level Arctic mixed-phase clouds." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(18), 10.5194/acp-18-13345-2018.
Research Highlight

Varble A, S Nesbitt, P Salio, E Zipser, S van den Heever, G McFarquhar, P DeMott, S Kreidenweis, M Jensen, P Kollias, D Romps, K Rasmussen, R Houze, Jr, R Leung, D Gochis, E Avila, CR Williams, and P Borque. 2018. Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) Science Plan. Ed. by Robert Stafford, ARM user facility. DOE/SC-ARM-18-027.

Chakraborty S, K Schiro, R Fu, and J Neelin. 2018. "On the role of aerosols, humidity, and vertical wind shear in the transition of shallow-to-deep convection at the Green Ocean Amazon 2014/5 site." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(15), 10.5194/acp-18-11135-2018.

de Sá S, B Palm, P Campuzano-Jost, D Day, W Hu, G Isaacman-VanWertz, L Yee, J Brito, S Carbone, I Ribeiro, G Cirino, Y Liu, R Thalman, A Sedlacek, A Funk, C Schumacher, J Shilling, J Schneider, P Artaxo, A Goldstein, R Souza, J Wang, K McKinney, H Barbosa, M Alexander, J Jimenez, and S Martin. 2018. "Urban influence on the concentration and composition of submicron particulate matter in central Amazonia." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18(16), 10.5194/acp-18-12185-2018.

View All Related Publications

Contact

View Instrument Mentors