The Tech Team provides a number of technical support services in addition to conducting site visits and the rapid response system. These services are provided to AmeriFlux site teams to facilitate site operations and maximize data quality. For most cases, these are provided at no cost to AmeriFlux sites (return shipping excepted).
Eligibility: Sites need to be active and elect the CC-BY-4.0 data policy to be eligble. See this page for more details.
- Calibration gases
- Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors
- Loaner instruments
- Portable profile system
For questions regarding any of these services, please contact ameriflux-tech@lbl.gov. When making a request, please include AmeriFlux site ID and preferred shipping address with phone and email information. To return an item, please ship to this address:
AmeriFlux Tech Team c/o Stephen W. Chan
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
MS 84-155
1 Cyclotron Road
Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel: 510-486-4728
Calibration gases
The AmeriFlux Tech Team provides carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) gases for calibration of eddy covariance gas analyzers. The calibration gases are blended in-house with ambient air. The Tech Team provides two cylinders: one with near ambient CO2/CH4 concentrations and one with above ambient CO2/CH4 concentrations. The ambient cylinders are typically 400 ppm CO2 and 2000 ppb CH4. The above ambient cylinders are 500 ppm CO2 and 4000 ppb CH4. The exact values will be clearly marked on calibration certificates attached to each cylinder. Calibration values are referenced to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) scales for CO2 and CH4 which are maintained by the NOAA ESRL GMD. The AmeriFlux Tech Team does not provide custom blends.
Each AmeriFlux site team may request one set of cylinders. Cylinders are aluminium and have a volume of 5-6 L (H = 21″, Dia = 7″). They typically arrive with 140 bar (2000 psi) of pressure. The cylinders are certified for three (3) years. We request that cylinders be returned if they are no longer in use or below 500 psi. Cylinders require CGA 590 regulators, which are not included.
For calibration gas requests, please email ameriflux-tech@lbl.gov.
AmeriFlux Tech Team gas cylinder blending and calibration laboratory
Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors
The AmeriFlux Tech Team has a pool of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors that are calibrated using a NIST traceable standard lamp calibration unit. The Tech Team provides Kipp and Zonen PQS1 sensors. These sensors are provided for sites to conduct in situ, side-by-side calibrations of their PAR sensors.
To request a PAR sensor, please email ameriflux-tech@lbl.gov.
AmeriFlux loaner PAR sensors
Loaner instruments
Short term loaner instruments are available to the network. These are intended to minimize outages due to instrument failure or factory service/calibration. The AmeriFlux Tech Team has a limited number of spare sensors that are available on a first-come first-served basis. The below list summarizes some of the available sensors. If you do not see what you need, please contact us anyway, as our inventory changes regularly. It also allows us to survey the needs of the network.
- Gas analyzers: LI-COR 7500, 7500A, 7200, 7700; Campbell Scientific EC150, EC155, IRGASON
- Sonic anemometers: Gill R3, WindMaster, WindMasterPro, CSAT3A, CSAT3B
- Net radiometers: Kipp & Zonen CNR1, CNR4
- Dew point generator: LI-610
- Leaf area meter: LI-2200
To make a loaner request, please email ameriflux-tech@lbl.gov.
Portable profile system
The Tech Team developed a portable profile system (PPS) in 2016 to enhance the capability of the Portable Eddy Covariance System (PECS). The PPS enables the team to 1) provide a high quality reference measurement of CO2 storage, 2) provide diagnostic data and analysis of site characteristics with regard to layer heights, inlet placement, and sampling frequency, and 3) promote the importance of measuring the storage term within AmeriFlux.
The PPS is commonly deployed in tandem with the PECS during AmeriFlux site visits but could be used independently to quantify vertical storage at your site.
For a detailed description of this system including full parts list, please visit this link.
To discuss the PPS, please send email to ameriflux-tech@lbl.gov.
PPS control box and calibration cylinders
PPS calibration inlets