Photo: Andrea Merlone (INRIM)
The Metrology Laboratory
Measurement is not just reading an instrument. Researchers from the National Institutes of Metrology (INRiM) have established a laboratory for sensors calibration and uncertainty evaluations in Ny-Ålesund. Here researchers (after agreement) can come to evaluate the uncertainty in their instruments by direct supervision from researchers at INRiM.
The common infrastructure directly links metrological traceability to on site polar measurements. The laboratory originated as a MeteoMet initiative and is now coordinated under a joint collaboration between ISP-CNR and INRiM.
Cooperation with the metrology community is also facilitated for the inclusion of quantities of influence in the users’ overall uncertainty budgets. The laboratory can also assist in characterization of sensors dynamics, testing and support in the evaluation of field measurement uncertainty.
Owner:
Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM) and
National Research Council – Institute of Polar Sciences
Contact person:
Andrea Merlone – INRiM – a.merlone@inrim.it and
Angelo Viola – ISP/CNR – angelopietro.viola@cnr.it
Booking procedures
Procedures are discussed and optimized for each purpose. Schedule and costs are agreed for each specific request. Send an email to both contacts to present your request and agree on the procedure and cost.
Main focus area
- Direct traceability to primary standards of the System of Units to reduce calibration uncertainty.
- Definition of specific calibration procedures, and associated uncertainty evaluation
- Adoption of unique calibration procedures, to avoid different national approaches
- A central infrastructure to benefit all researchers operating in the area
Facilities
The laboratory have systems for the calibration of
| Parameter | Range | Uncertainty |
| Air temperature | -35 °C -> +40 °C | u=0.03 °C |
| Air pressure sensors | 5 kPa -> 101.325 kPa | u=40 Pa |
| Soil, ice, water, permafrost temperature | -40 °C -> +30 °C | u=0.01 °C |
Combined calibration of pressure sensors including temperature correction curve are possible.
Example of assessment of temperature measurement profile of the Climate Change Tower (CCT) using calibration curves obtained in the metrology laboratory
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