Aerosol and gas measurement above the clouds
The Sonnblick Observatory is located in an almost emission-free environment on the alpine mountain ridge. Climate-relevant, environment-specific questions are researched there – also with the help of the precise, robust and compact 24/7 condensation particle counter GRIMM CPC 5421.
At a glance
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Customer: Sonnblick Observatory, Austria |
Trend-setting measuring instrument for climate research
As a facility of the European research infrastructure network ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure), the Sonnblick Observatory is located in an exposed and almost emission-free environment on the summit of the mountain Hoher Sonnblick (3106 meters). Research at the measuring and research station is conducted under extreme weather conditions, primarily on climate-relevant and environmental issues. Accordingly, a 24/7 condensation particle counter GRIMM CPC 5421 from GRIMM AEROSOL TECHNIK, a DURAG GROUP company, has been stationed there since fall 2022. “This device specifically meets the requirements of the European draft standard prEN 16976, which represents a standardization of nanoparticle counting in ambient air. This gives us a precise, robust and future-oriented model in the field,” says Senior Scientist Gerhard Steiner of GRIMM AEROSOL TECHNIK, who is supervising the project. “This type of instrument will find increasing use, especially in national and regional ambient air quality measurement networks.”
The European draft standard prEN 16976:2023, takes up an urgent WHO recommendation on the common air quality strategy with regard to the determination of particulate matter. We are also involved in the relevant CEN working group and collaborate with the most important research and calibration institutes in this field. One of these is the World Calibration Center of Aerosol Physics (WCCAP) at TROPOS, the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig, Germany. As the WCCAP is one of the most important calibration institutions within the ACTRIS network, we are proud to be included with our instruments in their recommendation list.
Detailed information about on UFP measurement in accordance with the European draft standard prEN 16976 can be found here: https://www.durag.com/en/nanoparticle-measurement-1734.htm
Background: The Observatory, GeoSphere and ACTRIS
The Sonnblick Observatory was founded in 1886 by Julius von Hann on the Mt. Hoher Sonnblick in the Alps. Today it is operated by GeoSphere Austria, the Austrian national service for geology, geophysics, climatology and meteorology. Currently, research at the Sonnblick Observatory is focused on the “Global Atmosphere Watch Programme” of the “World Meteorological Organisation”.
As part of the ACTRIS network, the Sonnblick Observatory provides data on cloud-in-situ and aerosol-in-situ measurements. ACTRIS unites 22 countries and 100 research institutions, forming the world's largest multi-site atmospheric research infrastructure and providing open access to instruments, knowledge, training and data management in various disciplines.
Here you can find the publications of the data measured – among others with GRIMM CPC 5421 – in real time: https://www.sonnblick.net/en/data/data-viewer/aerosols/
Additional information
- Project Manager DURAG GROUP: Gerhard Steiner, Senior Scientist at GRIMM AEROSOL TECHNIK.
- Project Manager Sonnblick Observatory: Gerhard Schauer, GeoSphere Austria
- Information Sonnblick Observatory: https://www.sonnblick.net/en/
- WCCAP: https://www.actris-ecac.eu/units.html#WCCAP
- ACTRIS Whitelist: https://www.actris-ecac.eu/actris-gaw-recommendation-documents.html
- Product info condensation particle counter GRIMM 5421: https://www.durag.com/en/product-filter-837.htm?productID=GRIMM%205421