Far from urban air pollution, there is less fine dust in the air on those snow-capped mountains. Those mountains are suitable for meteorological studies. However, the snow-capped mountains do not only mean snowy landscapes, but also the high altitude, the strong wind and the low temperature. These factors may be obstacles to meteorological monitoring. The Palas® worker overcame the difficulties and took the Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer up the snowy mountains. They helped the Sonnenblick Observatory conduct a series of meteorological studies within the Alps. With its stable operation, the Palas® instrument will continue guarding the Sonnenblick Observatory and furthering the studies of weather, climate and environmental changes and their effects.
The Sonnenblick Observatory
Palas® climbs the high peak
The formation of clouds, the physical and chemical changes that occur in cloud masses, and the conditions for the formation of rain and snow are all topics studied by the Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) at the Sonnenblick Observatory. The observatory was founded in 1886 in the Austrian Alps. Surrounded by snow all year round, this observatory is a research site for the Earth’s ecosystems, climate and environmental issues. Through the efforts of its researchers, the Sonnenblick Observatory has developed into a modern research base. A 360° panoramic tour of the Sonnenblick Observatory is available by visiting its website. Click here to learn about the Sonnenblick Panoramic Tour.
Sonnenblick Panoramic Tour
The installation of instruments for meteorological monitoring on a snowy mountain is not an easy task. The Sonnenblick Observatory is located at an altitude of 3,105 meters, where temperatures are often below zero and winds can reach 100 km/h at the top of the mountain. Sergej Sel, head of the Optics and Sensor System Department overcame the difficulties and successfully put the Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer into operation. With the help of the Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer, the researchers will be able to obtain a large amount of stable monitoring data, deepen their meteorological research and answer questions on the topic of climate change.
Installation of the Palas® instrument at the Sonnenblick Observatory
The indispensable Palas® instruments
In this two-week ACTRIS meteorological measurement campaign, 38 scientists have strict requirements for 24 used monitoring instruments. The Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer, which measures cloud aerosols, provides precise monitoring of the particle size in the air and analyzes its concentration and composition. Under appropriate conditions, it can analyze fog droplets and determine the water content of the air. At the Sonnenblick Observatory, the Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer has also been used to measure the distribution of Saharan dust, which drift to Central Europe, helping researchers study the path of dust transport. The Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer has been recognized by researchers for its stable monitoring of important climate information.
The Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer is not the only trustworthy Palas® instrument at the Sonnenblick Observatory. The Palas® ENVI-CPC Nanoparticle Counter for measuring ultrafine particles and the Palas® Promo® 3000 Scattered-light Aerosol Spectrometer have been in use here for a long time. Two sensors of the Promo® 3000 monitor indoor and outdoor air separately and provide a comparison between moist and dried aerosols. These results provide data reference for the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) to complete the evaluation of climate studies around the world.
The excellent operation is sufficient to prove that the Palas® instruments are indispensable monitoring assistants in meteorological research. Equipped with the stable performance of the Palas® instrument, the Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer will continue supporting the scientific research and monitoring activities at the Sonnenblick Observatory and protect the ecological home together.
The Palas® instrument in monitoring
Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer
Palas® Cloud Droplet Analyzer is a high-resolution optical aerosol spectrometer optimized for measuring size distribution and number concentration of cloud aerosols like droplets and ice crystals. Based on the measurement principle of optical light scattering (90°) on single particles and high resolution components droplets and ice crystals can be distinguished. Additionally the cloud water content as well as mean droplet diameter can be reported.
Applications
· Insitu-Cloud monitoring
· Environmental Research
· Climate Research
· Cloud formation
· Ice Nucleation Events
Palas® will arrange a series of online webinars both in English and Chinese for Ambient air quality continuous automatic monitoring system, SMPS scanning mobility particle size spectrometer, Promo® aerosol spectrometer, Aerosol generator and Dilution system, ISO 16890 filter media test rig-MFP 3000 G, ISO 29463-3 HEPA/ULPA filter media test rig-MFP Nano plus 4000, ISO 17536 oil mist separator filtration performance test rig-HMT 1000, as well as many other aerosol measurement solutions. You are welcome to register for the conference and will be informed of the webinar information as soon as possible!
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