Since 1997, Sandia National Laboratories has managed the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s North Slope of Alaska (NSA) atmospheric observatory, overseeing its central facility at Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow) and smaller sites nearby.
The long-term partnership between ARM and Sandia is now immortalized in a time capsule that was lowered into the ground as part of Sandia’s 75th anniversary celebration on October 31, 2024.
Items in the time capsule include an ARM award certificate to recognize Sandia’s outstanding management and operations of the NSA, as well as an ARM challenge coin, which is typically given out to ARM’s annual service award winners for their valuable contributions to ARM and its users.
The time capsule also contains a vial of air sampled by NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory in February 2016 at its Utqiaġvik observatory, near the NSA. The air in the vial was approaching 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide, exceeding preindustrial levels.
“This contribution symbolizes a commitment and challenge to future Sandians to continue their efforts in the important and critical mission of addressing climate change and climate security,” says ARM NSA and Tethered Balloon System Manager Andy Glen, who manages Sandia’s atmospheric science department.
Before packing up the time capsule, Sandia displayed the ARM certificate and challenge coin, NOAA air sample, and description of the items in the lobby of its executive leadership/Sandia Field Office building in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The plan is to dig up and open the time capsule in 25 years, when Sandia commemorates its 100th anniversary.
# # #ARM is a DOE Office of Science user facility operated by nine DOE national laboratories, including Sandia National Laboratories.