The Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL) Campaign

Abstract The science of mountainous hydrology spans the atmosphere through bedrock and inherently crosses physical disciplinary boundaries: land-atmosphere interactions in complex terrain enhance clouds precipitation, while watersheds retain release water over a large range spatial temporal scales. Limited observations challenge efforts to improve predictive models face rapid changes. Upper Colorado River exemplifies these challenges, especially with ongoing mismatches between snowpack, discharge. Consequently, U.S. Department Energy’s (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility has deployed an observatory East Watershed near Crested Butte, September 2021 June 2023 measure main atmospheric drivers resources, including clouds, winds, aerosols, radiation, temperature humidity. This effort, called Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL), is also working tandem DOE-sponsored surface subsurface hydrologists other federal, state, local partners. SAIL data can be benchmarks for model development by producing wide observational information on precipitation its associated processes, those processes that impact snowpack sublimation redistribution, aerosol direct radiative effects impacts controlling fluxes energy mass. Preliminary from SAIL’s first year showcase rich content many data-streams support testing hypotheses will ultimately scientific understanding predictability beyond.