C-130 from CAESAR March 2024

Cold Air Outbreak Experiment in the Sub-Arctic Region (CAESAR)

One of Earth's most intense air mass transformations happens when cold Arctic air flows out over the much warmer open oceans in so-called Cold-Air Outbreaks (CAOs). The surface heat fluxes are among the highest observed on Earth, supporting highly convective clouds capable of producing heavy snowfall and occasionally spawning intense "polar lows." Surprisingly little is known about their Lagrangian evolution, the relationship between up- and downstream conditions, and between the surface fluxes, boundary-layer structure, cloud and precipitation properties, and mesoscale circulations. These clouds provide a powerful modeling test bed for improving the representation of mixed-phase cloud processes in large eddy simulations, numerical weather prediction, and global climate models. 

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ISFS SOS setup at RMBL.

NSF Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP)

A revised version of the Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP) solicitation was published by NSF on 3 July 2023.  The solicitation describes the mechanism by which the research community can propose projects that require access to facilities and instrumentation sponsored by the Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) Program in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS).  Specialized FARE instrumentation and facilities include the Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) and the Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF).  For more information, please contact Dr. Shree Mishra, NSF FARE Program Director  (sumishra@nsf.gov).

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NSF/NCAR GV SOCRATES

Explore NCAR-managed Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities for your field research

EOL manages and operates a portfolio of multi-user national facilities that are sponsored by NSF.  The NCAR-managed Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities include:

These specialized facilities and instrumentation can be requested to carry out the scientific field work associated with the investigation of a wide range of geophysical phenomena.

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Data Services

EOL offers comprehensive data management, archival, and stewardship services to the observational research community. NSF-funded research teams rely on EOL to facilitate the implementation of tailored and comprehensive data management plans for field campaigns.

EOL Field Program Support Services

EOL provides specialized and scalable services to the research community in support of atmospheric field programs.  Services include data management, project management, and operations center support. 

EOL in the News

Read stories and articles about the incredible work by EOL staff and our suite of requestable Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF).

The Mystery of Missing Water From Mountain Sources

On the westward side of the Rocky Mountains, the Upper Colorado River Basin has historically been a wintertime storage bin for snowpack. As the snowpack melts, the resulting runoff joins water sources from other mountain watersheds and fills the coffers of streams and rivers fanning out into the Western United States.

EOL Scientist Spotlight: Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Volcano Eruption Plume Study

Dr. Holger Vömel, a Senior Scientist in EOL’s In-situ Sensing Facility, has a publication in Science, on his study of the 15 January 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano. 

How monsoon winds impact climate change by transporting pollutants into the upper atmosphere

While the Asian monsoon brings rain that is vital for the agricultural economy of the vast region, it is also known to suck up into the upper atmosphere chemical pollutants that accelerate climate change.