The BNF observatory is expected to be installed in a phased approach with the central facility and core instrumentation operational first, and then distributed sites and/or additional advanced instrumentation installed at later dates.
ARM plans to place more than 50 instrument platforms or suites at the BNF, including:
- Radiometers
- Radars
- Lidars
- Surface meteorological instrumentation
- Aerosol instrumentation
- Total sky imager
- Ceilometer
- Radiosondes.
A 140-foot-tall instrumented tower will sample a variety of parameters within and above the forest canopy.
Several supplemental sites with a subset of instruments will provide information about parameters outside of the forest, including heat fluxes and aerosol properties. ARM also plans to install a scanning centimeter-wavelength radar for observing precipitation over the region.
Explore BNF Instruments
ARM will transmit all data gathered at the BNF to the ARM Data Center, and they will be made freely available to the scientific community via Data Discovery.
Researchers will be able to supplement the continuous ARM observations with guest instruments during field research campaigns or by requesting increases in the frequency of measurements, such as sonde launches. Because the Bankhead National Forest is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, guest instrument activities may need additional approval. Guidance on these requirements and processes is being developed.