Welcome
Welcome to our website for ATTO, the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory – an Amazon research project.
This research site is located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest in northern Brazil, about 150 km north of Manaus. It is run together by scientists from Germany and Brazil. Its aim is to continuously record meteorological, chemical and biological data, such as the concentration of greenhouses 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 vital to get a better understanding of these complex processes. Only then will we be able to make more accurate climate predictions.
Have a look around on our website to learn more about the research performed at ATTO and in labs and offices around the world. Please note that the website is still under constructions and more content will be added. So be sure to check back soon! You can also follow us on Social Media to get an insight into the daily lives of the ATTO scientists and stay up-to-date on all the latest news and events!
News
Atmospheric aerosol particles are essential for the formation of clouds and precipitation, thereby influencing the Earth’s energy budget, water cycle, and climate. However, the origin of aerosol particles in pristine air over the Amazon rainforest during the wet season is poorly understood. A new study reveals that rainfall regularly induces bursts of newly formed nanoparticles in the air above the forest canopy.
So-called squall lines frequently bring thunderstorms to the Amazon region. With them comes a lot of rain, but also heavy, turbulent winds. This new study analyzes their impacts on surface meteorology and CO2 fluxes.
Ivan Kourtchev and his colleagues discovered a so-called "forever chemical", one particular PFAS substance, in the pristine rainforest at ATTO. Their analysis suggests that the compounds, which are banned due to their health risks, were not emitted locally, but were transported to the site over long distances.
We are offering a biological technician position dealing with epiphytic plants and their role in CO2 and water cycling in the Amazonian rainforest. The position is for 6 months renewable for up to 2 years (starting in March 2024).
This year's ATTO workshop will take place in at INPA in Manaus October 2 - 4, 2024. It will be preceded by a mini-workshop on data (management) on October 1st.
The CloudRoots team would like to invite you to participate in the PhD Skills Course, which will be held from August 5 to 7, 2024, at INPA, Manaus. The aim of the course is to improve students' skills through different steps of their research.
Blog: Voices from the Amazon
Nelson Dias shares how using the programming language Chapel helps him to analyze atmospheric turbulence above the Amazon rainforest. Chapel is a programming language designed for productive parallel computing at scale.
Hi there, my name is Juliana. I am the new ATTO Scientific Data Manager working at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry. I come from south Brazil where I studied Biology. I moved to Manaus in 2009 to pursue a Master in Ecology at INPA. Throughout my academic career I have also acquired experience in research data management.
Hi everyone, my name is Fernanda! I am a Post Doc at National Institute for Amazonian Research in Manaus (Brazil). Along with collaborators at INPA and MPI-BGC, I am working on methane fluxes from tree stems in the different ecosystems present at ATTO.
Hello, everyone! My name is Carla Webber and I’m the new post-doc in the Cryptogamic communities group at the ATTO. I’m a biocrust researcher and have worked on this subject for more than ten years. Biocrusts taught me to be an interdisciplinary researcher.
My name is Tarek S. El-Madany and I’m the new head of the Central Service Group “Field Experiments and Instrumentation” at MPI-BGC in Jena. I am taking over from Olaf Kolle, who will be retiring this year. I’m a trained landscape ecologist and specialized in micrometeorology.
I want one! This was the enthusiastic reaction of a Brazilian student after her first encounter with a scintillometer at the CloudRoots campaign in Amazonia. The scintillometer is indeed a special instrument that deserves admiration.
Project Updates
In 2018, ATTO junior researchers in Brasil initiated an education project with the local communities near ATTO. These communities of Bela Vista, Maracarana and Macacaboia are located along the Uatuma river, partially within the USD reserve. They are small communities