Amsterdam

Amsterdam, as the capital of the Netherlands, is a hotspot of population density, industrialization, culture and innovation. The city contains a mix of quarters, ranging from historical to young, high-rise to extensive, build up to green in which people live, work and leisure.

In Amsterdam we study the urban climate and how people experience it. The city is often warmer (the urban heat island effect) and winds around buildings can be gusty. Vegetation, green roofs and street design affect the city’s climate.

The Amsterdam Atmospheric Monitoring Supersite (AAMS) is run by MAQ at Wageningen University in collaboration with the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions, the Municipality of Amsterdam, and the I-Change project.

The AAMS, established in 2014, consists of 24 weather stations across Amsterdam that measure temperature, humidity and wind speed, while some also observe precipitation and black globe temperature. It contains an eddy covariance flux tower measuring turbulent fluxes of sensible heat, latent heat (evapotranspiration), CO₂ and methane, and contains a scintillometer as well. Moreover, we measure up- and downwelling components of the solar and thermal radiation. During occasional Intensive Observations Periods radio soundings were launched, a sodar was installed and tri-cycle observations of human thermal comfort were performed. The network is used to monitor the urban heat island effect, heat stress, the urban water balance, the city’s carbon footprint, to address the potential for solar panels, and for validation of weather prediction models for cities.

The AAMS site and its data is operational and available from October 2020 onwards. Note that this may vary for specific data streams.