Observational Platforms

SORPES - Station for Observation Regional Processes of the Earth System

To meet the requirements for inter-disciplinal and basic data needs for the latest development of earth sciences and of major scientific problems like climate and global change, and based on the facts that there is a scarcity of integrated, systematic and high-quality observational data in the field of earth system research in China, School of Atmospheric Sciences jointly built and developed SORPES-Station for Observation Regional Processes of the Earth System with relevant schools and departments. It has developed into an important observational base enabling synchronous and long-term integrated observation of multi-regional processes of the earth system, scientific experiments on issues relating to earth system and corresponding academic exchanges and talent training.

Currently, taking into account geographical, climactic, environmental factors and anthropogenic influences, in particular, SORPES mainly focuses on the following four processes:

* earth surface physical processes

* atmospheric composition - climate interactions

* ecosystem-atmosphere interactions

* hydrologic processes and cycle

radar, satellite observation equipment

The mobile observational platform, with the internationally-advanced Nanjing University C band Dual-polarization weather radar playing the leading role, is equipped with mesoscale and microscale observation equipment including a two-dimensional video rain droplet collector, MRR-2, mobile boundary layer wind profiler radar and a multiple satellite data receiving system, forming a space-ground-based remote sensing observation platform to comprehensively observe the three-dimensional dynamics, thermodynamics and the microphysics fine structure of cloud and precipitation system in the monsoon context.