How Change Happens

What has kept the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility successfully operating over its long history is continually changing in response to evolving science, user needs, and available technology.

Users who have identified a need that they would like to see implemented can effect change within ARM, particularly around:

• Data Products 
• Instruments 
• Field Campaigns

Because ARM strives to serve the largest number of people, user requests for change are most effective if the buy-in and support of a larger group of ARM users is obtained.

ARM prioritizes new needs identified by the ARM’s user community.  Requests for change can happen in many ways. Start by communicating ideas to the most appropriate ARM advisory or support group and working with them to develop the idea to positively impact the largest number of users.

• User Executive Committee 
• ARM-ASR Coordination Team
• Aerosol Measurement and Science Group
• Unmanned Aerial Systems Advisory Panel
• Atmospheric Modeling Advisory Group
• Cloud and Precipitation Measurements and Science Group

Recommendations for changes to ARM often come directly from external science meetings in the form of:

• Workshop reports
• White papers
• Science priorities of partner organizations

ARM consciously manages the change process. The coordination of new tasks within ARM is led by Engineering and Process Manager Jennifer Comstock.

Instrument mentors often work on the implementation of new instruments. Mike Ritsche leads the process for bringing new instruments into ARM.

Translators work with the scientific community to develop value-added products, or VAPs, from the direct output of ARM instruments. John Shilling is the lead translator.

Data services, ranging from computing resources to resources for reading, writing, displaying, and manipulating ARM data, are available through the ARM Data Center, managed by Giri Prakash.

The Implementation Strategy Team (IST) is responsible for integration and implementation of engineering and development activities and projects that support our operational baseline and providing a vision for future development directions. The IST is responsible to the ARM Director and works closely with the Associate Director for Operations and the leader of the Architecture and Services Strategy Team (ASST).

The ASST is responsible for the representation of and communication with the software development and operations team members. ASST Lead Giri Prakash is tasked to effectively coordinate the participation and contributions of ASST.

LASSO—the LES ARM Symbiotic Simulation and Observation activity—laid the groundwork to produce routine large-eddy simulation (LES) modeling at the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) atmospheric observatory. Community input is being sought by LASSO Principal Investigator William Gustafson.