Tall tower with 100 m height with auxiliary masts which are currently installed meteorological sensors at 10, 50 and 100 m above the ground level; accessible by a staircase inside the tower. Laboratory with the instrumentation to measure the trace gases (CO, CO2 and CH4) at the base of the tower; equipped with air conditioning and measurement of temperature and humidity inside. Atmospheric observatory located to 450 m of the tower with measurements of trace gases (O3, NOx, SO2, VOCs), aerosols (sub- and super-micron particle size distribution, scattering and back-scattering properties, total particle concentration and absorption properties), solar radiation (global, UV) and meteorology (surface and sounding system).
National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA)
At El Arenosillo facilities is possible to access by road. Inside El Arenosillo, the road reaches up to 110 m before the tower; where there is a sandy road. The last 25 m you have to go on foot or by all-terrain vehicle (SUV).
Fully linked to internet by fiber optics, with high reliability.
El Arenosillo is located in the Doñana National Park in the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula, close to the Atlantic coastline (1 km). The nearest town is Mazagon, 9 km towards the WNW, with a population of 4000 inhabitants. The city of Huelva, with 145 thousand inhabitants is situated 26 km to the NW. Close to Huelva city there are an industrial complex with chemical and petrochemical activities. Seville metropolitan area is 75 km to the NE from the coastline of El Arenosillo; with a population of more than 1.5 million, it is the most densely populated urban area in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. The observatory can be affected by regional anthropogenic emissions, mainly from Seville area but also by emissions transported over medium-long ranges (for instance from the North of Africa or the Western Mediterranean Basin) to reach the Gulf of Cadiz.
Atmospheric Sounding Station – El Arenosillo. Crta. Huelva-Matalascañas, km 34. 21130. Mazagón, Huelva, Spain.
Atmospheric Sounding Station – El Arenosillo. Crta. Huelva-Matalascañas, km 34. 21130. Mazagón, Huelva, Spain.
The Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Cadiz region, covers approximately 40 % of the area around the site. It is a flat region with no obstacles for tens of kilometers around. The most significant land use is forests and cultivations. Agriculture (arable land, woody crops and other cultivated areas) reach near to 30 % of the land use. The national and natural parks of Doñana surrounding the sampling site are among Europe’s most relevant protected areas due to their populations of migratory birds and sandy landscapes. Nevertheless, many natural or semi-natural forested areas are also frequent (14.0 % including broadleaved and coniferous forest such as the stone pine (Pinus pinea L.). These forests are abundant to the north of the site in the immediate vicinity of El Arenosillo. Moreover, there are many natural wetlands, among them can highlight Doñana wetlands, to 35 km from the station.
The site is part of the Andalusian regional air quality network and WMO/GAW, NASA/AERONET, NOAA/FAN, ACTRIS, WOUDC and EUBREWNET.
