Environmental Monitoring Program: A Long-Term Research Initiative

The Cary Institute's Environmental Monitoring Program is a comprehensive research initiative that aims to monitor environmental parameters that impact natural ecosystems. Since its inception in 1984, the program has expanded to include monitoring of various parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, wind, and solar radiation.

In 1987, instruments were added to measure stream temperature and height, while low-volume filter packs similar to those used in the US EPA CASTnet program began sampling air in 1988. The program's early years focused on collecting and analyzing precipitation and stream samples, which are now being contributed to the calibration/validation program of the NASA-Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission.

Today, the program encompasses a wide range of monitoring activities, including weather and climate observations, air quality monitoring, precipitation analysis, streamwater chemistry sampling, solar radiation measurements, soil moisture and temperature monitoring, and stream flow assessments. The program's data collection efforts are designed to provide long-term homogeneous observations that can be coupled with historical records for the detection and attribution of climate change.

In addition to its own research initiatives, the Cary Institute also hosts sites for three additional programs: the USDA ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, which monitors soil moisture and temperature at the landscape scale; the Climate Reference Network (USCRN), a program designed to provide long-term observations of temperature and precipitation; and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Ambient Air Monitoring Program, which focuses on ground-level ozone monitoring.

The Cary Institute's Environmental Monitoring Program is an essential component in our understanding of environmental dynamics and its impact on natural ecosystems. By providing high-quality data and research insights, the program aims to inform conservation efforts and support sustainable management practices.

J environ monit