Mutztag Ata Westerly Observation and Research Station (MAWORS) has been set up, thanks to the unstinting support of the ITP leaders and coordination of various government units, and has entered into a phase of field observation and monitoring. A set of automatic weather station was set up in the 3600 m-elevated observation field near the station, measuring and recording such meteorological parameters as wind direction and velocity, humidity and temperature, atmospheric pressure, four-component radiation, and soil moisture and temperature, apart from functioning as an automatic rain gauge. Another set of automatic weather station was set up in the 4500m-elevated site for gradient study of those meteorological parameters. Operation of these auto-weather stations would fill the blank of meteorological record in such westerly-dominated mountainous regions, and facilitate in the study of features and mechanisms of the westerlies.

The MAWORS also conducted active cooperation with Institute of Earth Environment, CAS in the observation and study of atmospheric aerosols and black carbon, witnessing an academic visit of professors Zhenxing Shen and Suixin Liu to the station and joint establishment of a set of black carbon auto-monitor in the 4500 m-elevated field.

MAWORS office building

setting up auto-weather station in the 3650 m-elevated field

configuring black carbon automonitor in the 4500 m-elevated site 

setting up auto-weather station and solar panels in the 4500 m-elevated field