OPERATIONS: CCORE
MISSION:
To advance Earth and Space Climate research and education by providing comprehensive ground-based observations, promoting the open sharing of data, and engaging students through hands-on learning opportunities.
VISION:
CCORE strives to be a global leader and multidisciplinary hub at the forefront of Earth’s environment and near-space sciences utilizing a diverse cluster of ground-based instruments strategically positioned in the U.S. CCORE’s commitment extends to developing a pioneering, accessible database that catalyzes breakthroughs in understanding climate change effects, supports global sustainability efforts, and aids in providing inputs to the climate crisis.
HISTORY:
In November 2015, a Remote Optical Facility (ROF) was established on Culebra, a small island northeast of the Puerto Rican archipelago, as part of the former Arecibo Observatory (AO). The ROF’s main goal was to enhance simultaneous optical and radio observations to support AO’s ionospheric modification and incoherent scatter radar (ISR) operations.
Following the closure of AO in August 2023, the former ROF has transitioned into the Climate Center for Open Research and Education (CCORE), which is managed and supported by the Florida Space Institute (FSI) at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
CCORE continues the AO’s legacy in Space and Atmospheric Sciences by hosting and operating various passive and radio systems relocated from the AO. Since its establishment, CCORE has supported observational campaigns, projects, and scientific proposals across several fields. The database generated by CCORE has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and conference papers.
INFRASTRUCTURE:
Currently, CCORE has two units on the island of Culebra. CCORE1 unit hosts four climate-controlled containers with a weather station, optical and radio instruments, a control room, and lodging for scientists and technicians. A relevant feature of the CCORE1 is its sustainability: a solar system with backup feeds the facility, and the water collected from the rain is kept in a reservoir for use. This feature is particularly crucial for maintaining operations during the Atlantic Hurricane Season. CCORE2 hosts a VHF all-sky Meteor Radar, cameras to monitor the night sky, and a storage container.
UNIQUENESS AND STRATEGIC U.S. LOCATION
CCORE is located on Culebra, a unique small island northeast of the Puerto Rican archipelago. Seventy percent of Culebra’s land is designated as a nature reserve. The island’s low population density and geographical features contribute to clear skies year-round, minimal light pollution, and very low radio frequency interference (RFI), making it ideal for optical and radio observations.
CCORE is the only geoscience facility in the U.S. Caribbean. This region is strategically essential for space and climate studies due to the configuration of geomagnetic field lines and the highly dynamic environment associated with convective forces. Additionally, CCORE hosts several optical and radio systems from the legacy Arecibo Observatory (AO) and is committed to continuing the expansion of AO’s extensive astronomical database, providing unique resources to support climate research and studies of near-space environments.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
The CCORE facility encompasses two units. CCORE unit 1 hosts four climate-controlled containers with a weather station, optical and radio instruments, a control room, and lodging for scientists and technicians. This unit’s sustainability is relevant: a backup solar system feeds the facility, and rainwater is kept in a reservoir. This feature is particularly crucial for maintaining operations during the Atlantic Hurricane Season. CCORE unit 2 hosts a VHF all-sky Meteor Radar, an all-sky imager, and a storage container.
The CCORE units operate remotely 24/7. They have innovative features to monitor and control temperature, power outages, humidity, and other features required by each instrument. External and internal security cameras with motion sensors are installed in the outdoor areas and inside the containers to monitor the conditions of the units and instruments. Two local dedicated technicians support the operations and campaigns and troubleshoot the cluster of instruments at CCORE units.
OBSERVATIONAL CAPABILITY
CCORE’s current observational capability ranges from ~20 km to ~ 250 km of altitude and includes all-sky imagers, photometers, spectrometers, VLF receivers, HF receivers, red line Fabry-Perot interferometer, GNSSs, LF magnetic field sensors, radiometer, aerosol lidar, and VHF all-sky meteor radar.
CCORE’s Observational Capability
SOCIETAL IMPACT ON THE LOCAL UNREPRESENTATIVE COMMUNITY:
As an open research facility, CCORE aims to promote inclusivity and transparency through open access to data, platforms, tools, and services, allowing the community and students to participate actively in scientific, engineering, and training opportunities in space-and-atmospheric-related sciences.
CCORE is committed to mitigating the impact of the Arecibo Observatory’s closure in Puerto Rico and, consequently, the underrepresentation of the Latin American community in the space science field by offering educational activities to the local community, mainly in Culebra, which has a poverty rate of 23.5% (source Census 2022).
CCORE TEAM
COLLABORATE WITH US:
CCORE is part of FSI, a non-profit soft money institution that relies on external funding. CCORE welcomes new collaborations through proposals and projects.