The Bankhead National Forest (BNF) atmospheric observatory is a long-term mobile observatory being established by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility in northwestern Alabama. The BNF is currently expected to be operational for five years, starting in 2023.
Supplemental sites will be added after the main site begins operations. Three supplemental sites and two radar locations are planned as part of the BNF.
Scientists will use BNF data to learn about clouds, aerosols, and land-atmosphere interactions, which in turn will lead to improvements in models of the Earth’s climate.