WCCAP

The WCCAP is a Calibration Center for the Global Watch Programme on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization. It is unique world-wide and offers its service for physical aerosol instruments used at atmospheric observatories so far. Traceable reference instruments are available for calibration and intercomparison workshops for physical aerosol instrumentation. For the community of EUROCHAMP, such workshops are offered for the first time.

The following typologies of instrument can be calibrated or intercompared: Mobility, Aerodynamic and Optical Particle Size Spectrometers, Condensation Particle and Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counters, Absorption Photometers, Integrating Nephelometers, and Extinction Monitors. Furthermore, hands-on training is offered for people who attend the workshops. 

Currently, calibration and intercomparison workshops are done frequently per year under the frame of the ACTRIS “European Center of Aerosol Calibration, ECAC”. (http://actris-ecac.eu/). Users outside of Germany have to undergo a TNA application process, as defined on the website, while Germany users presently pay an access fee to the Calibration Center. The WCCAP is operated by a couple for scientist who are only dedicated for the above described calibration and intercomparison workshop, and developments of new hardware and software. Frequent calibrations of the scientific aerosol instruments will allow to perform reliable measurements at the chambers and thus provide more confidence for the research.