The Taunus Observatory

The Taunus Observatory of the Goethe-University is located about 20 km northwest  of the City of Frankfurt am Main on Mount Kleiner Feldberg at the Taunus Ridge (825 m altitude). The observatory provides facilities for experimental research of scientists of the Goethe-University and their partners. Permanent facilities include a Seismological Station and an Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory. The site is organized  by the Institutes for Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and the Institute of Geoscience (Geophysics section) at Faculty of Geosciences and Geography.  A small number of experimentalists can be accommodated at the site.

Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory

The Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory on top of the hill provides 40 m2 of laboratory space in a two-story container building, as well as a roof platform for atmospheric sampling. A weather station of the German Weather Service (DWD) and an air pollution monitoring station of the State of Hessen (HLUG) next to the building supply basic meteorological and air pollution data. A Micro-Rain-Radar measures vertical profiles of reflectivity by hydrometeors.

Seismological Station

The Seismological Station TNS at the observatory (coordinates: LAT = 50.2225  LON = 8.4473   ELEV = 815.0) is part of the German Regional Seismic Network (GRSN).  It is equipped with a 3-component broadband seismometer “Streckeisen STS-2”. Seismograms of the last 24 hours (dayplots) can be obtained from http://www.geophysik.uni-frankfurt.de/tns/tns.html

Current Projects: (under construction)

Cloud and Aerosol Physics and Chemistry

Trace Gas Measurements

Doppler Rain-Radar