NOAA Air Resources Laboratory tower in Oak Ridge, Tennessee joins a new air quality network

View from the ground of the Chestnut Ridge tower in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Credit: Mark Heuer/NOAA

With every breath we take, we inhale many particles with a diameter much smaller than the width of a human hair. These small particles, sometimes referred to as aerosols, play an important role in the formation of clouds and precipitation. They also contribute to particulate matter air pollution that has been shown to lead to a number of respiratory health problems as well as damage to forest ecosystems. A new instrument for measuring aerosols on a long-term basis, developed by researchers at Colorado State University and funded by the Department of Energy has recently been installed at NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The information from the sensor could lead to more accurate weather and air quality forecasts.