SAIL-Net distributed aerosol monitoring network

Knowledge graph centered on SAIL-Net distributed aerosol monitoring network with 48 nodes and 143 connections. Top connected: precipitation, Colorado River, elevation gradient, spatiotemporal variability, Upper Colorado River Basin.

Method synopsis

A distributed network of six ground-based aerosol measurement stations spanning elevational gradients in mountainous terrain to characterize spatiotemporal variability in atmospheric particles. Each station operates multiple instruments continuously for multi-year campaigns.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 1 paper using this protocol.

Procedure as described in the canonical source

Steps below were extracted from the paper that introduces this protocol — Measurement report: An investigation of the spatiotemporal variability in aerosols in the mountainous terrain of the upper Colorado River basin using SAIL-Net (2025), Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Establish measurement network sites
   Six measurement nodes were installed across the East River watershed near Crested Butte, Colorado, spanning elevations from 2765 m (Pumphouse) to 3482 m (CBTop) with horizontal distances of approximately 8 km north-south and 14 km east-west coverage. Sites were positioned to capture vertical variation in aerosol properties while covering the full domain of the SAIL campaign.
   Quantities: 6 measurement sites spanning 717 m elevation difference over 14 km horizontal distanceDuration: October 2021 to July 2023 (approximately 22 months)Conditions: Mountainous terrain with varying vegetation types at each elevation, winter snow coverage requiring elevated mounting
   Equipment: scaffolding, solar panels, ground power sources, weatherproof enclosures
2. Install aerosol measurement instruments
   Each site was equipped with three instruments: a Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS) for particle size distributions from 140 nm to 3.4 μm, a miniature CCN counter (CloudPuck), and a filter sampler (TRAPS) for ice-nucleating particle analysis. Instruments were mounted on 3 m tall scaffolding and enclosed in weatherproof housings with baffled inlets facing downward for weather protection.
   Quantities: 18 total instruments (3 per site across 6 sites), 3 m mounting heightDuration: Continuous operation except during power outages or instrument malfunctionsConditions: All-weather operation with instruments protected by weatherproof enclosures and elevated above winter snow levels
   POPS instruments, CloudPuck CCN counters, TRAPS filter samplers, weatherproof enclosures, baffled inlets

Typical Equipment

• POPS instruments
• CloudPuck CCN counters
• TRAPS filter samplers
• scaffolding
• solar panels
• weatherproof enclosures

Output Measurements

• particle size distributions
• number concentrations
• CCN concentrations
• INP concentrations

Papers Using This Protocol (1)

Places Where Used