Izaña Atmospheric Research Center, Tenerife Island, Spain (28.3 N, 16.5 W, 2367 m a.s.l.)

Since February 1999 a high resolution FTIR spectrometer is operated in collaboration with AEMet at Izaña Atmospheric Research Center on Tenerife Island. From 1999 to 2005 it was a Bruker^® 120M, since 2005 it a Bruker^® 125HR spectrometer.

Fig. 1: Izaña Atmospheric Research Center as reconstructed in 2002.

An FTIR is operated at Izaña Atmospheric Research Center, Tenerife Island, because it

• is a high-altitude station with excellent conditions for FTIR spectroscopy,
• low humidity, clear sky on nearly 80% of all days,
• is close to the subtropical barrier and allows to study exchange processes between tropics and mid-latitudes,
• is easy to access and offers a good infrastructure as meteorological and astronomical observation site,
• is located in the free troposphere and is rather isolated in the Atlantic Ocean: local pollutions do not interfere significantly.

Fig. 2: FTIR container at Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (Feb. 1999).

In 2005 a new FTIR container was set up at Izaña Atmospheric Research Center. It includes a new spectrometer Bruker^® IFS 125HR and a new solar tracker cover.

Fig. 3: New FTIR container at Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (Jan. 2005).

This cover, made in collaboration with Impres^® GmbH, Bremen, allows us to open and close remotely. 

Fig. 4: New cover of solar tracker on top of FTIR container at Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (Jan. 2005).