Our Working Groups

Our working groups are a mechanism for user communities to work together to highlight and resolve issues in a particular field.

They bring together a specific user community, allowing them to share expertise and experience, and allow for direct links with instrument developers and suppliers. These groups can bring problems to the manufacturers’ attention that might arise when a product is changed.

Working groups give developers the opportunity to interact with their target audience and introduce new products. 

Working groups also establish best practice in both measurement and calibration and act as a dissemination point to the wider community.

Working groups can influence upwards. An organised observation community has a stronger and louder voice than a single individual or university group and as such can provide guidance as to where capital investment is best targeted.

We use working groups as a feedback conduit between user communities and the facilities that the National Centre for Atmospheric Science delivers on behalf of the Natural Environment Research Council. This link means facility users can directly aid in ensuring that the particular area covered by the remit of the group is meeting the needs of the community, is meeting the highest operational standard, and is applying the most up-to-date methods to the most up-to-date instrumentation.

National Centre for Atmospheric Science facility investment is strongly influenced by the recommendations of the facility steering committees and their recommendations are influenced by the activities of facility working groups.

The National Centre for Atmospheric Science facilitate a number of working groups in addition to those listed below. Full details of the each working groups remit and activities can be found on the dedicated National Centre for Atmospheric Science Working Groups website.

Chilbolton Radar Users' Group

Organiser

Dr Chris Walden

Terms of Reference

 

Visit the Chilbolton Radar Users’  Group area →

Ground Based Aerosol Working Group

Organiser

Dr Paul I. Williams

Terms of Reference

 

Visit the Ground Based Aerosol Working Group area →

Ground Based Chemistry Working Group

Organiser

Dr Grant Forster

Terms of Reference

The purpose of the group is to bring together people active in the field, be they established researchers, people new to the field, or instrumentation developers\suppliers, with the aim to:

  • share experiences and expertise
  • introduce new ideas and developments
  • establish best measurement and calibration practice
  • highlight areas that would benefit from investment and advise NCAS-Observations
  • provide an opportunity for networking

Visit the Ground Based Chemistry Working Group area →

Lidar Working Group

Organiser

Dr Hugo Ricketts

Terms of Reference

 

Visit the lidar Working Group area →

Capel Dewi Atmospheric Observatory Users' Group

Organiser

Dr David Hooper

Terms of Reference

 

Visit the Capel Dewi Atmospheric Observatory Users’ Group area →

Surface Meteorology Working Group

Organiser

Dr Barbara Brooks

Terms of Reference

The surface met working group is focused on observations of surface layer temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, mast\tower deployments, and fluxes – measurement of soil temperature, soil heat flux and soil moisture are also part of this groups remit. The purpose of the group is to bring together people active in the field, be they established researchers, people new to the field, or instrumentation developers\suppliers, with the aim to:

  • share experiences and expertise
  • introduce new ideas and developments
  • establish best measurement and calibration practice
  • highlight areas that would benefit from investment and advise NCAS-Observations
  • provide an opportunity for networking

Visit the Surface Meteorology Working Group area →

Radiosondes Working Group

Organiser

To be confirmed

Terms of Reference

 

Visit the Radiosonde Working Group area →