Francesco Zaratti and Ricardo N. Forno

Atmospheric Physics Laboratory, Institute of Physical Research,  University of San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia

 

The Mount Chacaltaya Laboratory (MCL), located 30 km from the city of La Paz , at 5300 m asl, is well known as a cosmic ray laboratory that made important contributions to the Elementary Particles Physics in the 40’s and 50’s of the last century. 
Since its beginnings, the MCL has also hosted instruments and experiments devoted to atmospheric research and health studies at high altitude locations. In addition, the Chacaltaya glacier has attracted the interest of worldwide climatologists, due to its dramatic retreat. In fact, this glacier does not exist anymore. 
Recently, the Atmospheric Physics Laboratory (LFA-UMSA) has begun to take permanent and field measurements of some relevant atmospheric parameters there, like carbon dioxide, aerosols and ultraviolet irradiance.
In this talk, we would like to show some characteristics that make MCL a feasible international center for atmospheric measurements related to the climate change issues and mention some pioneering steps in this direction, in the frame of a regional GAW station and the SHARE project co-operation.
In particular, we would like to join the LIdar at La PAZ initiative (LIPAZ), conceived in 2003, during the II ALINE workshop in Camaguey, Cuba, and strongly supported by ESA and some Italian Universities, with the new direction that LFA-UMSA has taken in the climate change area. Thanks to the vigorous co-operation of the Raman Lidar group at Goddard Space Flight Center, a new YAG Laser is being installed, to be operated together with other instrument of the “old” Alexandrite Lidar in the study of aerosols at La Paz.