SPARC: A Requestable Instrument System to Support Your PBL Research and Education

The Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) Portable Atmospheric Research Center (SPARC) is a mobile ground-based laboratory designed for comprehensive profiling of the lower troposphere. Thanks to its suite of instruments, it can monitor how the thermodynamic, kinematic, and aerosol structure of the atmosphere evolves over time scales on the order of a few minutes. Three key instruments form the heart of SPARC: the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) retrieves profiles of temperature and water vapor from observed spectra of downwelling infrared radiance; a Doppler Lidar measures vertical profiles of three-dimensional wind vectors; and the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) produces absolutely-calibrated profiles of aerosol backscatter independent of any molecular scattering. Additional instrumentation includes surface meteorological sensors and infrastructure to support radiosonde launches, including a ground station and storage for helium tanks. SPARC can be deployed to targeted locations adjacent to phenomena of interest, and with setup taking under an hour can easily be moved to areas where transient phenomena like severe convection are anticipated.

Together, these instruments produce an all-encompassing portrait of the behavior of the planetary boundary layer. SPARC has fostered new understandings in several arenas, including land/atmosphere feedbacks, coastal breezes, mesoscale meteorology, and urban effects. Results from some of these past campaigns will be presented. SPARC is also an important component of the National Science Foundation’s Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) program. Interested researchers and educators can request to use SPARC for their field campaigns or classroom activities with NSF support, and this presentation will inform future users of the SPARC facility and educate them on how to request its use and integrate its systems into their research or classroom activities.