Location: Luray (VA, USA)
Latitude: 38.61
Longitude: -78.35
Elevation: 1017 m
Tower Height: 17 m
Measurement Period: 2008 -
Vegetation and Soil
Dominant Species Composition: Deciduous
Dominant Vegetation: Oak, locust, hickory
Canopy Height: 12-14 m
Stand Age: 35-40 years
Soil Type: Clay
Terrain Type
The elevation varies significantly across the region. The mountain ridge on which the tower is located is characterized by slopes that drop from a height of 1040 m at the ridgeline to around 300 m on either side of the mountain range, which is oriented southwest-northeast.
Climate
Southern continental, with long, moist growing seasons (May-September) and relatively mild winters. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year. Leaf emergence typically occurs in mid-late April, and leaf fall typically completes by late October.
General Information and History
The 17 m tower is located at Pinnacles in the north-central section of the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The tower is located along a ridge line and overlooks the Shenandoah Valley (on the west) and the Virginia Piedmont (on the east). The surrounding forest is predominately new-growth, with a mixture of white oak and locust. The tower was outfitted with instruments in May, 2008 to measure a suite of meteorological variables, including temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and incoming and outgoing short- and longwave radiation. In addition, an eddy covariance system is present so that fluxes of water vapor and carbon dioxide can be computed. Also on-site is a highly-accurate gas analyzer that is installed in the outbuilding adjacent to the tower that measures concentrations of both carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These measurements are made in collaboration with NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory.
Pictures from Pinnacles
The 17m tower at Pinnacles.
The LIDAR unit on-site.
The CO/CO2 gas analyzer.
One of the four temperature/humidity sensors on the tower.
The Gill sonic anemometer.
Temple works on one of the particle counters.