• 51.525°N 12.928°E 86 m a.s.l.

Observational platform

Germany

• Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS)

https://www.tropos.de/en/research/atmospheric-aerosols/long-term-trends-and-process-analysis/long-term-studies-of-regional-importance-and-air-quality/regional-research-station-melpitz/overview

• Laurent Poulain
  Facility PI
• Birgit Heese
  PI deputy

The Melpitz Research Station is a rural background site located at approx. 50 km on the Northeast of Leipzig (Germany) in the glacial valley of the river Elbe. It has been operated since 1992 by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) and it is part of long-term programmes research networks (EMEP, EUMETNET, GUAN, and the German’s UV-monitoring Network). The measuring field is situated in a flat meadow surrounded by agricultural land and dominated by two dominant wind directions (Southwest and East) making the Melpitz Research Station a unique place in Europe to investigate the comprehensive size-segregated chemical-physical long-time characterization of the aerosol in the regional background under influences of both Western and Eastern Europe. The Melpitz research station is surrounded by a flight restriction area, ED-R 45 allowing vertical measurements to be taken above the station using various measuring platforms. The site also hosts the ACTRIS mobile platform ACME.

The research topics covered at the Melpitz observatory combine aerosol chemistry and microphysics, and starting from 2025 continuous aerosol and cloud remote sensing. The main research fields investigate the change in aerosol properties (chemical composition, sources, physical properties). The specific location of the station makes it possible to follow both Western and Eastern Europe simultaneously. Aerosol processing (SOA, new particle formations, volatility, and hygroscopicity) is also covered based on long-time measurements and dedicated intensive campaigns. The instrumentation will be completed with online VOCs, SOA precursors, INP, and bioaerosol measurements. Coming continuous vertical aerosol, cloud optical properties, water vapor, and AOD measurements. will reinforce the research capacity of the station on long-range transport, the impact of the dynamic of the atmosphere, and aerosol-cloud interactions by combining ground-based and vertical measurements.

• Spindler et al. (2004). Long-term size-segregated characterization of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 at the IfT research station Melpitz downwind of Leipzig (Germany) using high and low-volume filter samplers. Atmospheric Environment, 38(31), 5333-5347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2003.12.047
• van Pinxteren et al. (2023). Residential Wood Combustion in Germany: A Twin-Site Study of Local Village Contributions to Particulate Pollutants and Their Potential Health Effects. ACS Environ. Au, 4(1), 12-30. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenvironau.3c00035
• Atabakhsh et al. (2023). A 1-year aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) source analysis of organic aerosol particle contributions from anthropogenic sources after long-range transport at the TROPOS research station Melpitz. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23(12), 6963-6988. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6963-2023
• Wang et al. (2022). Aerosol activation characteristics and prediction at the central European ACTRIS research station of Melpitz, Germany. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22(24), 15943-15962. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15943-2022
• Beck et al. (2022). Nontarget Approach to Identify Complexing Agents in Atmospheric Aerosol and Rainwater Samples. Anal. Chem., 94(25), 8966-8974. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00815
• Düsing et al. (2021). Measurement report: Comparison of airborne, in situ measured, lidar-based, and modeled aerosol optical properties in the central European background – identifying sources of deviations. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21(22), 16745-16773. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16745-2021
• Poulain et al. (2020). Multi-year ACSM measurements at the central European research station Melpitz (Germany) – Part 1: Instrument robustness, quality assurance, and impact of upper size cutoff diameter. Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13(9), 4973-4994. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4973-2020
• Stieger et al. (2021). Strong Deviations from Thermodynamically Expected Phase Partitioning of Low-Molecular-Weight Organic Acids during One Year of Rural Measurements. ACS Earth Space Chem., 5(3), 500-515. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00297
• Genz et al. (2020). Estimation of cloud condensation nuclei number concentrations and comparison to in situ and lidar observations during the HOPE experiments. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20(14), 8787-8806. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8787-2020
• Chen et al. (2018). A parameterization of the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N₂O₅ for mass-based aerosol models: improvement of particulate nitrate prediction. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18(2), 673-689. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-673-2018
• Größ et al. (2018). Atmospheric new particle formation at the research station Melpitz, Germany: connection with gaseous precursors and meteorological parameters. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18(3), 1835-1861. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1835-2018