Need to collect data? Near or far, hard or easy, we can help.

Thorough, precise, and consistent observations are essential to improving our understanding of the intricacies of the Earth system. We help scientists take new observations as well as access a wealth of observational datasets, some of which have been years (or decades) in the making. These long-term datasets can be critical for understanding climate variability and change and for evaluating models.

NCAR has a host of ways to help scientists get the real-world measurements they need. Researchers, whether they study storms on the Great Plains or storms on the Sun, can take advantage of the observational platforms offered through NCAR, which include specialized research aircraft, solar-observing instruments atop Hawaii's Mauna Loa, and atmospheric profiling systems, just to name a few. We also have the capability to design, build, and test specialized observing instruments for a vast range of uses.

Additionally, NCAR produces datasets of the energy and water cycles derived from measurements made at NCAR and elsewhere.