BSSN
Hazemeter Measurement Protocol

Task
Measure the amount of haze (aerosols) in the atmosphere.

Frequency
Three sampling times daily (once in the morning, once at approximately noon, once in the afternoon) with a triplicate measurement at each sampling time

What You Need

• BSSN Hazemeter
• BSSN Hazemeter Datasheet

In the Field

IMPORTANT: NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!

1. NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN! You can permanently damage your eyes.
2. Measurements should be taken outside on a day where clouds do not obstruct the sun.
3. The black dust cap on the end of the Hazemeter should be removed and your hand should be placed over the sun light viewing tubes (See Hazemeter).
4. The Hazemeter should be turned on by pressing the black button one time on the side of the instrument. The Hazemeter will display "Press For Raw…" for several seconds and then the display will show the "Channel A:" reading. The values should be approximately between 0 and 10.
5. At this time, orient the Hazemeter towards the sun (with your hand still over the opening), align the sun image with the target black dot on the sun view finder.
6. Once the sun has been aligned, remove your hand from the sun light viewing tubes at the top of the Hazemeter.
7. The sun image should be moved slowly in different directions through the target black dot on the sun view finder (See Sun View Finder). At the same time, monitor the Hazemeter display for the maximum value.
8. Once the value on the display does not increase after several seconds (5-10 seconds), press the black button on the side of the Hazemeter to save the data and turn off the instrument.
9. Steps 3-7 can be repeated to take multiple measurements.
10. The black dust cap should be placed on the opening.
11. The Hazemeter should be stored in a location away from the sun and heat.
12. Students should record their observations on their Datasheet.

Notes:

• The Hazemeter will turn OFF one minute after turning the instrument ON (This feature is designed to save the instrument battery).
• If the Hazemeter turns off before pressing the black button, the measurements will not be saved to the Hazemeter memory. The measurements will need to be taken again
• Each measurement sampling time will include triplicate Hazemeter measurements per sample for a total of nine individual hazemeter measurements per day.

Back to Index