Suspension of Particulate Mass (DP1.00101.001) sampling

As of November 1, 2023, Particulate Mass (DP1.00101.001) samples are no longer collected at NEON sites. NEON’s Particulate Mass data product (DP1.00101.001) provides the mass of PM10 (particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter) collected on quartz filters biweekly at six NEON sites; these filters are archived and made available for further analysis from the NEON Biorepository. 

The Particulate Mass and Dust and Particulate Size Distribution data products were intended to address the regional science question of dust transport from the Great Basin to the Great Plains and enable assessment of the impact of changing albedo from dust deposition on snowmelt timing, as well as ecosystem changes caused by nutrient (specifically nitrogen) deposition (Schimel et al. 2012; NEON.DOC.000001). However, the other data products (i.e., snow depth) and sensors (i.e., reactive nitrogen sensors) needed to make this regional assessment were ultimately not included in the final NEON data product catalog, thereby limiting the utility of the dust mass data product for the community. Because of the diverse size and composition of particulates in the atmosphere, there is no single sampling strategy for airborne particulate matter that can address all scientific use cases (Waza et al., 2019; Brahney et al., 2020). Science community feedback has indicated that our current sampling design does not sufficiently meet the intent of the data product. Additionally, this data product is one of only two NEON products that were designed to be collected at a regional scale, i.e., only a subset of ecoregions, and it therefore does not support continental-scale analyses. 

Previous collections will remain available from the NEON Biorepository until samples are depleted, and Particulate Mass sample weights will be available for download on the NEON data portal for the samples that have already been collected. 

Please use the Contact Us form for further inquiries; please select DP1.00101.001 in the Data Product drop-down list.