STFC supporting new UK facility for atmospheric measurements
2 Apr 2020 02:30 PM
A new UKRI funded research facility will offer scientists access to mobile instrumentation, laboratories and observatories across the world and will enable world-class measurements of the atmosphere.
The new facility, the Atmospheric Measurement & Observation Facility (AMOF), will draw upon STFC RAL Space experience in radar science, radio-frequency engineering, and atmospheric instrumentation to deliver ground-based remote sensing capability.
It is being funded through a £2.9m investment from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) spread over the next three years.
As part of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), AMOF will provide a joined-up service for the UK’s atmospheric science community, with experts on hand to plan and make world-class measurements, offer advanced data quality assessments and provide facilities for archiving open-access data.
AMOF’s expertise in measuring the atmosphere will underpin the latest weather, climate and air pollution research, spanning a range of research disciplines, applications and collaborations.
It is a merger between two existing facilities, which aims to increase the efficiency of scientific services, and maintain NERC’s world-class atmospheric measurement capability under the leadership of NCAS. It is led by Professor Geraint Vaughan, and managed by Dr Barbara Brooks, Dr Chris Walden and Dr David Hooper.
Dr David Hooper, Joint Head of AMOF, based at STFC RAL Space said, "By adopting common operating procedures and data standards, we are making it easier for our users to seamlessly combine observations from a wide array of instruments."
STFC RAL Space operates two of AMOF’s observatory sites, at Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire, and Capel Dewi, near Aberystwyth.
Staff from STFC RAL Space are embedded in NCAS, and will work with colleagues across multiple universities to provide users with scientific support and technology for observational campaigns.
Dr Chris Walden Joint Head of AMOF, based at STFC RAL Space said, “By pairing RAL Space’s expertise in radar technology with established best practice from AMOF’s university partners we can offer enhanced support to users both at our observatory sites and in the field."
AMOF’s suite of services are at the forefront of a fast-changing research and technology landscape, and its staff are embedded in sector-leading UK research institutions: the University of Leeds, the University of York, the University of Manchester, the University of East Anglia, the University of Surrey, as well as STFC RAL Space.
Further information
For further information about AMOF please contact amof@ncas.ac.uk and visit amof.ac.uk.
Hear news and updates on the Atmospheric Measurement & Observation Facility by following @AMOF_Science on Twitter.