10.25390/CARYINSTITUTE.C.4330892.V5
Vicky Kelly
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Environmental Monitoring Program Data
<div>Cary Institute's Environmental Monitoring Program is designed to understand how the environment changes over
time. Long-term monitoring lets us evaluate legislation aimed at
controlling pollution and climate change. We monitor temperature and
precipitation, as well as variables related to air pollution, such as
acid rain, air quality, and streamwater chemistry. We also measure solar
radiation including UV and soil moisture and temperature.</div><div>We also provide onsite support for other monitoring programs, Including:<br></div><div>The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Ambient Air Monitoring Program, for ground level ozone.<a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8400.html" target="_blank">visit site >></a><br></div><div>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S.
Climate Reference Network (USCRN), a program designed to provide
long-term homogeneous observations of temperature and precipitation that
can be coupled to historical observations for the detection and
attribution of climate change.<a href="http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/" target="_blank">visit site >></a></div><div>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Soil Moisture Active Passive (NASA SMAP) mission, specifically the calibration and validation of soil moisture in forested ecosystems.<br><u></u></div><div><u>History</u></div><p>The program began in 1984 with collection and chemical analysis of
precipitation and stream samples. Equipment to measure stream
temperature and height was installed in 1987 although data for most
years prior to 1993 are incomplete. Temperature, relative humidity, wind
and solar radiation instruments were added to the program in 1987.</p>
<p>Air sampling using low-volume filter packs similar to those used in
the US EPA CASTnet program began in 1988. The New York State DEC began
measuring ground level ozone at the Cary Institute in 1988. Ultraviolet
radiation measurements began in 1999. And the USCRN program began making
air temperature, surface temperature, precipitation, wind speed,
wetness and solar radiation measurements in October 2004; relative
humidity, soil temperature and soil moisture measurements were added in
April 2011.</p><p><u>Location:</u><br></p><p>The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is located in the Hudson
River Valley near Millbrook, New York, roughly 113 km north of New York
City and 24 km east of Poughkeepsie.</p>
<p>Data are often compared with a long-term database from Millbrook
School, which is 13 km east of the Cary Institute or with the 1981-2010,
30-year normal data from Poughkeepsie, which is 24 km southwest of the
Cary Institute. The precipitation and air chemistry sampling equipment
as well as the meteorological and solar radiation instruments are
located in a flat, open field at an elevation of 128 m. GPS coordinates
for the site are: N41.785823 W073.741447. The station has a small
building (9 ft. x 20 ft.), which is shared with the NYS DEC Ambient Air
Monitoring Program.</p>
<p>Stream gauging equipment is located on the East Branch of Wappinger
Creek in the Fern Glen on the Cary Institute property. Stream samples
were collected from 4 locations on the East Branch of Wappinger Creek on
the Cary Institute property from 1985 to 1995.</p>
<p>Sample collection was reduced to two locations in 1996. One site is
located in the Fern Glen with the gauging equipment (GPS coordinates N
41.78707, W 73.73317) and one site is located in the Lowlands (GPS
coordinates N 41.79235 W 73.74937).</p>
40103 Atmospheric Radiation
Atmospheric Sciences
40101 Atmospheric Aerosols
Climate Science
50205 Environmental Management
50206 Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Science
Cary Institute
2020
2020-06-05
2020-06-05
Collection
10.25390/caryinstitute.c.4330892
CC BY 4.0