Virtual Tour - Atmospheric Research Observatory

There is a live camera with a view inside ARO, but it only works when the satellite is above the horizon at the Pole.

Here is some more information about ARO research projects:

University of Illinois Lidars and airglow cameras

They have a sodium resonance lidar to study the vertical structure of the atmosphere from the lower stratosphere to mesopause. They are also looking at the formation of polar stratospheric clouds, which are important in the destruction of ozone chemistry.

They have an iron resonance lidar (to be installed summer 99/00) to study dynamics and temperature structure to 100 km altitude. They study in particular the variability and frequency of the metallic layers in the mesosphere.

Finally, there is an airglow imaging camera (to be installed January 99) to study the horizontal structure of the atmosphere in the infrared.

NASA minilidar

This instrument monitors and profiles the Polar Stratospheric Clouds, particularly type 1, which has been implicated in the annual springtime destruction of the stratospheric ozone. They also monitor the atmosphere over the long term via transmission and back scatter from surfaces.

Aethalometer (TM) from Magee Scientific

The goal of this project is to re-establish the background aerosol emissions and make a direct assesment of the station's emissions (particularly Black Carbon). The aethalometer in ARO measures the background while another aethalometer downwind of the station measure the station's environmental impact due to combustion-related materials. More information on the Aethalometer is on their website; use your "Back" button to come back here.

NOAA CMDL instruments

This instrument suite makes long term monitoring of trace constituents and pollutants in the atmosphere that influence global climate. It also measures the ozone profile in the atmosphere by balloon launches and total ozone "content" from the ground. Some of these measurements are ongoing from 1957. More information on the South Pole Ozone Program is on their website; use your "Back" button to come back here.

OO-270

This rather cryptically-named project is built by NCAR and is only operating over the summers 99/00 and 00/01. They are studying sulfur chemistry in the atmosphere. More information on their research is available on their website; use your "Back" button to come back here.

A view of the Clean Air Facility.

Go back to the map of the pole.

CARA's research and education programs are supported in part by the National Science Foundation under a cooperative agreement, grant number NSF OPP 89-20223. © Copyright 1998,1999,2000 by Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica. This copyright applies to all web pages and images created by CARA.