Atmospheric Measurement and Observation Facility (AMOF)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: National Centre for Atmospheric Science
Abstract
The AMF (Atmospheric Measurement Facility) was established in April 2014, following a review of NCAS's ground-based facilities and the service they provided to the community. AMF deploys state-of-the-art instrumentation such as radars, lidars and mass spectrometers, together with ancillary instrumentation and logistics, for a range of projects both ground-based, ship-based and airborne. It supports experiments in the UK and across the world, e.g. India, China and Ghana over the past 2 years. The laboratory facilities provide calibration standards in gas-phase chemistry at York and access to the environmental wind tunnel at Surrey University. The field sites at Weybourne, Cape Verde and the BT Tower (and though close collaboration with the STFC radars, Chilbolton and Capel Dewi) offer the community a range of environments for field experiments where the basic necessities of power, internet and space are provided, alongside standard meteorological measurements. Together, AMF offers to the community far more capacity and expertise than could be maintained at an individual University. It also has a commitment to developing data standards that enable measurements to be easily combined and re-used in future. By continuity of staff and a commitment to maintaining up-to-date provision it ensures that the UK community is able to compete internationally in experimental atmospheric science.
This proposal sets out how AMF plans to continue to provide a facility meeting the needs of the NERC funded research community for high-quality atmospheric field measurements and laboratory data. The facility web pages may be accessed through the portal at www.amf.ac.uk, where the different elements are described in detail and the calendar showing when elements are available may be viewed. Applications are accepted through an on-line form at any time. Each application is assigned to an AMF instrument scientist, who performs a technical evaluation then liaises with the applicant to discuss details of the requirement. Following a successful initial appraisal, a formal offer is made to the PI defining the service to be provided. The main focus of AMF is support for NERC grant-funded projects, and priority is given to applications that are submitted alongside a JeS application. The next level of priority is given to applications for NERC NC science, NERC-funded PhD students and NERC grants where the application is received after the grant is awarded. If there is spare capacity, AMF will offer its services to other scientific organisations (like the Met Office) or commercial users, from whom suitable costs will be recovered. Generally, NERC applicants receive 2 months instrument scientist time for each project and are only asked to pay additional T&S and consumables associated with a deployment. Should a proposal require more than 2 months IS time the PI will need to find the necessary excess staff funding.
AMF's core rationale is the delivery of high-quality datasets to the customer, and the nature of the dataset provided by each instrument or experiment is defined clearly on the AMF web site. Core data are supplied within 2 months of the end of an experiment; the delay allows for proper quality assurance and quality control. Derived products may also be provided through discussion with the IS but these can take longer as they rely on the scientist's individual expertise. AMF is working with the community and with CEDA to develop data standards that make all our data accessible and re-usable by future users. There has been particularly close collaboration with CFARR and MSTRF in this project which puts us on the road to the merger of the three facilities in 2020.
This proposal sets out how AMF plans to continue to provide a facility meeting the needs of the NERC funded research community for high-quality atmospheric field measurements and laboratory data. The facility web pages may be accessed through the portal at www.amf.ac.uk, where the different elements are described in detail and the calendar showing when elements are available may be viewed. Applications are accepted through an on-line form at any time. Each application is assigned to an AMF instrument scientist, who performs a technical evaluation then liaises with the applicant to discuss details of the requirement. Following a successful initial appraisal, a formal offer is made to the PI defining the service to be provided. The main focus of AMF is support for NERC grant-funded projects, and priority is given to applications that are submitted alongside a JeS application. The next level of priority is given to applications for NERC NC science, NERC-funded PhD students and NERC grants where the application is received after the grant is awarded. If there is spare capacity, AMF will offer its services to other scientific organisations (like the Met Office) or commercial users, from whom suitable costs will be recovered. Generally, NERC applicants receive 2 months instrument scientist time for each project and are only asked to pay additional T&S and consumables associated with a deployment. Should a proposal require more than 2 months IS time the PI will need to find the necessary excess staff funding.
AMF's core rationale is the delivery of high-quality datasets to the customer, and the nature of the dataset provided by each instrument or experiment is defined clearly on the AMF web site. Core data are supplied within 2 months of the end of an experiment; the delay allows for proper quality assurance and quality control. Derived products may also be provided through discussion with the IS but these can take longer as they rely on the scientist's individual expertise. AMF is working with the community and with CEDA to develop data standards that make all our data accessible and re-usable by future users. There has been particularly close collaboration with CFARR and MSTRF in this project which puts us on the road to the merger of the three facilities in 2020.
Planned Impact
AMF impacts through direct impact by the Facility, support for the NCAS science and impact programmes, and through projects supported in the research community.
The direct impacts of AMF arise from activities including:
a) Outreach: This can be part of NCAS and NERC's overall public engagement programme, or a collaboration with partner Universities and outside charities. AMF's measurements inform the public about our science and allow us to question their understanding of key scientific concepts.
b) Training: AMF's aerosol measurement course is a partnership with TSI Inc. and accepts both commercial and academic participants. We aim to increase the provision of such courses over the next 5 years, continuing the model of working with an industrial partner.
c) Provision of data from our instruments: For example, the AMF wind profiler is based in Cardington or Capel Dewi between campaigns, and its data provided to the Met Office for use in forecasting while measurements from the Iceland Atmospheric Observatory provide observations of volcanic ash for the Icelandic Met Office (with whom NCAS has a Memorandum of Understanding) and the London VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre) based at the Met Office.
d) Deployment of AMF equipment for commercial customers: Although carried out on a commercial basis, such deployments result in AMF's expertise being transferred to the benefit of the customer. AMF only has limited capacity to support such deployments but we anticipate roughly one a year if past trends continue. Recent examples are the deployment of the X band radar to Lossiemouth for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, and of the radar wind profiler to Heathrow in support of a Met Office project for better fog forecasting.
e) Access to AMF field sites and calibration sites to commercial organisations. Over the course of the next 5 years AMF calibration facilities will work towards obtaining UKAS certification as government accredited calibration facilities.
f) Support for the NCAS science and impact programmes: AMF will support FAAM in projects such as measuring methane gas leaks from oil and gas wells in the North Sea, and readiness for emergency response in a future volcanic ash & gas emergency. AMF scientists will contribute their specialist expertise to applications such as monitoring fracking sites in North Yorkshire for methane emission, and advising the aerospace industry on appropriate measurement standards for aerosol emissions from engines.
g) Community working groups organised with the NCAS underpinning programme and FAAM: for example in areas of UAVs, lidar remote sensing or atmospheric aerosol measurements. Such activities involve non-academic public sector organisations like the Met Office and commercial manufacturers and so spread best practice and provide community networking opportunities.
h) Emergency response: In the event of national emergency, for exampe volcanic ash & gas cloud, major fires and gas leaks, AMF's capabilities will be deployed to meet national need in support of NCAS's NPG activities.
The direct impacts of AMF arise from activities including:
a) Outreach: This can be part of NCAS and NERC's overall public engagement programme, or a collaboration with partner Universities and outside charities. AMF's measurements inform the public about our science and allow us to question their understanding of key scientific concepts.
b) Training: AMF's aerosol measurement course is a partnership with TSI Inc. and accepts both commercial and academic participants. We aim to increase the provision of such courses over the next 5 years, continuing the model of working with an industrial partner.
c) Provision of data from our instruments: For example, the AMF wind profiler is based in Cardington or Capel Dewi between campaigns, and its data provided to the Met Office for use in forecasting while measurements from the Iceland Atmospheric Observatory provide observations of volcanic ash for the Icelandic Met Office (with whom NCAS has a Memorandum of Understanding) and the London VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre) based at the Met Office.
d) Deployment of AMF equipment for commercial customers: Although carried out on a commercial basis, such deployments result in AMF's expertise being transferred to the benefit of the customer. AMF only has limited capacity to support such deployments but we anticipate roughly one a year if past trends continue. Recent examples are the deployment of the X band radar to Lossiemouth for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, and of the radar wind profiler to Heathrow in support of a Met Office project for better fog forecasting.
e) Access to AMF field sites and calibration sites to commercial organisations. Over the course of the next 5 years AMF calibration facilities will work towards obtaining UKAS certification as government accredited calibration facilities.
f) Support for the NCAS science and impact programmes: AMF will support FAAM in projects such as measuring methane gas leaks from oil and gas wells in the North Sea, and readiness for emergency response in a future volcanic ash & gas emergency. AMF scientists will contribute their specialist expertise to applications such as monitoring fracking sites in North Yorkshire for methane emission, and advising the aerospace industry on appropriate measurement standards for aerosol emissions from engines.
g) Community working groups organised with the NCAS underpinning programme and FAAM: for example in areas of UAVs, lidar remote sensing or atmospheric aerosol measurements. Such activities involve non-academic public sector organisations like the Met Office and commercial manufacturers and so spread best practice and provide community networking opportunities.
h) Emergency response: In the event of national emergency, for exampe volcanic ash & gas cloud, major fires and gas leaks, AMF's capabilities will be deployed to meet national need in support of NCAS's NPG activities.
Organisations
Publications
Gough H
(2019)
Influence of neighbouring structures on building façade pressures: Comparison between full-scale, wind-tunnel, CFD and practitioner guidelines
in Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics
Marucci D
(2020)
Stable and convective boundary-layer flows in an urban array
in Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics
Tompkins J
(2018)
Multiport particle chamber validation for particle number concentration using condensation particle counters
in Measurement
Zhu J
(2021)
Comparison of rainfall microphysics characteristics derived by numerical weather prediction modelling and dual-frequency precipitation radar
in Meteorological Applications
Baccarini A
(2020)
Frequent new particle formation over the high Arctic pack ice by enhanced iodine emissions
in Nature Communications
Caravan RL
(2018)
The reaction of hydroxyl and methylperoxy radicals is not a major source of atmospheric methanol.
in Nature communications
Shaw MF
(2018)
Photo-tautomerization of acetaldehyde as a photochemical source of formic acid in the troposphere.
in Nature communications
Dalsøren S
(2018)
Discrepancy between simulated and observed ethane and propane levels explained by underestimated fossil emissions
in Nature Geoscience
Ramonet M
(2020)
The fingerprint of the summer 2018 drought in Europe on ground-based atmospheric CO2 measurements.
in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
Lewis AC
(2020)
An increasing role for solvent emissions and implications for future measurements of volatile organic compounds.
in Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
Moon DR
(2019)
Production of HO2 and OH radicals from near-UV irradiated airborne TiO2 nanoparticles.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
Moon DR
(2019)
Production of HO2 and OH radicals from near-UV irradiated airborne TiO2 nanoparticles.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
Gao B
(2020)
Adaptive strategies of high-flying migratory hoverflies in response to wind currents.
in Proceedings. Biological sciences
Van Der Linden R
(2020)
The influence of DACCIWA radiosonde data on the quality of ECMWF analyses and forecasts over southern West Africa
in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Tjernström M
(2021)
Central Arctic weather forecasting: Confronting the ECMWF IFS with observations from the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition
in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Theeuwes N
(2021)
Understanding London's summertime cloud cover
in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Renfrew I
(2020)
An evaluation of surface meteorology and fluxes over the Iceland and Greenland Seas in ERA5 reanalysis: The impact of sea ice distribution
in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Kniffka A
(2020)
An evaluation of operational and research weather forecasts for southern West Africa using observations from the DACCIWA field campaign in June-July 2016
in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Lin J
(2021)
Global Aerosol Classification Based on Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and Satellite Observation
in Remote Sensing
Wolters E
(2021)
iCOR Atmospheric Correction on Sentinel-3/OLCI over Land: Intercomparison with AERONET, RadCalNet, and SYN Level-2
in Remote Sensing
Nisbet E
(2020)
Methane Mitigation: Methods to Reduce Emissions, on the Path to the Paris Agreement
in Reviews of Geophysics
Stagnaro M
(2021)
On the Use of Dynamic Calibration to Correct Drop Counter Rain Gauge Measurements.
in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Zinke J
(2021)
The development of a miniaturised balloon-borne cloud water sampler and its first deployment in the high Arctic
in Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology
Purvis RM
(2019)
Effects of 'pre-fracking' operations on ambient air quality at a shale gas exploration site in rural North Yorkshire, England.
in The Science of the total environment
Nøst TH
(2018)
Low concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in air at Cape Verde.
in The Science of the total environment
Roberts A
(2021)
Nowcasting for Africa : advances, potential and value
in Weather
Connors S
(2018)
Estimates of sub-national methane emissions from inversion modelling
Tsiringakis A
(2021)
The impact of London on a low-level jet
Jones H
(2018)
Summertime Arctic Aircraft Measurements during ACCACIA
Description | School visit |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | After school club STEM session about the atmopshere, for pupils at Bledlow Ridge School in Buckinghamshire. The pupils involved do not speak English as their first language, and the teacher requested an in-person session to support greater engagement in the topic and the session. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | School visit |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Lindsay Bennett (meteorologist and AMOF Radar Instrument Scientist) was invited to talk about her job to Year 3 students at Spring Bank Primary School in Leeds. Her careers story session supported their Wild Weather theme that term. Lindsay showed photos and animations about clouds, making observations with radar, and talked about storms and tornadoes. They made clouds and tornadoes in bottles, to demonstrate some weather science principles. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |