• 37.100°N 6.700°W 40 m a.s.l.

Observational platform

Spain

• National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA)

• Margarita Yela
  Facility PI
• Mar Sorribas
  PI deputy

El Arenosillo (ARN) is an experienced and multi-instrumented observatory, located in the most western sector of Europe at 1 km from Atlantic Ocean, in a protected rural environment. ARN combines complementary facilities providing an ideal capability for a wide range of atmospheric aerosol and gases research under GAW, LIFE WATCH, ACTRIS and ICOS frameworks. ARN operates under well-established monitoring programs as NASA/AERONET, NASA/MPLNet, NOAA/FAN, EUBREWNET and others and is an attractive transnational access point through ATMO-ACCESS. In addition to the above-ground platform for solar radiation, aerosol and reactive gases research, a 100 m-tower is equipped by meteorological sensors and GHG monitoring at 10, 50 and 100 m. Commercial and customized unmanned aerial vehicles systems are available for vertical atmospheric composition characterization up 3500 m and if it is of interest, including several aerosol in-situ payloads. Radio- and ozone-soundings can be also performed.

Aerosol in-situ program is mainly focused on the study of optical, microphysical and chemical properties of the atmospheric aerosols with the aim to a better understating of its effects on climate. The observation programme covers the obligatory ACTRIS aerosol in-situ variables, and additional variables as nano-particle concentration and super-micron particle size.

Main research aims are supported by the place of ARN location:
• ARN is located near the African coast. It allows a detailed analysis of the Saharan dust prior to be mixed in highly polluted areas of Europe.
• ARN provides natural environment near the ocean, particularly for atmospheric research under a breeze regime and its implications of aerosol radiative effects.
• Studies of anthropogenic contribution to natural aerosol levels can be also carried out.
• ARN surroundings is mainly composed by forest and crops. New particle formation events are also a common research study.

• Adame et al. (2010). On the Tropospheric Ozone Variations in a Coastal Area of Southwestern Europe under a Mesoscale Circulation. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 49(4), 748-759. https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JAMC2097.1
• Adame et al. (2022). Surface ozone trends at El Arenosillo observatory from a new perspective. Environmental Research, 214, 113887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113887
• Padilla et al. (2023). Ground-based and AIRS carbon monoxide behavior at El Arenosillo observatory (Southwestern Europe). Atmospheric Environment, 310, 119962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.119962
• Sorribas et al. (2015). A long-term study of new particle formation in a coastal environment: Meteorology, gas phase and solar radiation implications. Science of The Total Environment, 511, 723-737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.011
• Sorribas et al. (2019). Climatological study for understanding the aerosol radiative effects at southwest Atlantic coast of Europe. Atmospheric Environment, 205, 52-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.02.017
• Sorribas et al. (2017). An anomalous African dust event and its impact on aerosol radiative forcing on the Southwest Atlantic coast of Europe in February 2016. Science of The Total Environment, 583, 269-279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.064