The NCAR Atmosphere-Surface Turbulent Exchange Research (ASTER) Facility

Abstract

The Atmosphere-Surface Turbulent Exchange Research (ASTER) facility developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) will support observational research on the structure of the atmospheric surface layer. ASTER will provide state-of-the-art measurements of surface fluxes of momentum, sensible heat, and water vapor, and support measurements of surface fluxes of trace chemical species. The facility will be available to the scientific community in the spring of 1990. The motivation for the development of ASTER and the elements that constitute this new national facility are briefly discussed.