Atmospheric Radiation Laboratory (ARL) in Monsoon core zone: A unique research facility in Central India

The Central India (CI), wherein synoptic-scale disturbances (monsoon lows and depressions) frequently pass through during the monsoon season, is identified as a monsoon core zone where detailed long-term atmospheric measurements of convection, clouds, precipitation, and radiation are overdue.

Considering the importance of observational and analytical research in this area, an Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI) is established by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. ART-CI is a huge permanent observational facility envisioned as a national research testbed with multiple laboratories (aerosol, radiation, cloud and precipitation measurements) and scientific user facilities similar to the international Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site, USA.

Our climate system is largely determined by the Earth’s Radiation Budget, and is significantly influenced by drastic changes in clouds, aerosols, and greenhouse gases. Hence, to have long-term surface observations for monitoring the changes/trends in the Surface Radiation Budget, important for climate monitoring and prediction, Atmospheric Radiation Laboratory (ARL) is established in August 2023, as a part of the major research facility ART-CI. At ARL, a suite of radiation sensors was installed for continuous measurements of all components of solar and terrestrial radiation (such as total, direct and diffuse shortwave, long-wave, net and UV radiations) co-located with all other atmospheric data instrumentation.

Thus, this unique facility will have an extensive set of state-of-the-art observational systems that will provide continuous observations of land surface properties and surface energy budget. Site description, instrumentation and science plan of this new facility with initial results will be presented.