This research site is located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest in northern Brazil, about 150 km north of Manaus. Scientists from Germany and Brazil run it together. It aims to continuously record meteorological, chemical, and biological data, including the concentration of greenhouse gases. With the help of these data, we hope to gain insights into how the Amazon interacts with the overlying atmosphere and the soil below. Because this region is of such importance to the global climate, it is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of these complex processes. Only then will we be able to make more accurate climate predictions. 

Official website: https://www.attoproject.org/

Coordination:

• Max Planck Institute for Chemistry; Mainz, Germany

• Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA); Manaus, Brazil

• Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA); Manaus, Brazil

Research objectives:

To collect data on the influence of the vast, largely untouched rainforest on the climate, which will allow us to:

• Understand sources and sinks of greenhouse gases such as CO2, methane and N2O

• Investigate the formation of aerosols, which is important for cloud formation

• Investigate the transport processes of air masses that take place over several hundred kilometers

All information will lead to models to make better statements about the atmosphere and our climate, especially with the point of view of Global Climate Change. At the same time ATTO data can also be used as a basis for environmental regulations for sustainable development of the Amazon region.