Magurele center for Atmosphere and Radiation Studies (MARS) is an experimental site meant to observe, study and understand changes and interactions between climate-relevant atmospheric variables and components. MARS consist of a 20000 sqm flat terrain (free of any tall obstacle) and a 2-floors building, where automatic instruments are continuously operated: cloud radar, radiometer, ceilometer, wind lidar, multiwavelength lidar, aerosol chemical speciation monitor, aethalometer, weather station etc.

MARS allow not only 24/7 collection of data for various research purposes, but also the organization of international campaigns (e.g. inter-comparison, Calibration/Validations). Several research topics could be explored here, such as cloud research, aerosol-cloud interaction, quantification of the aerosol and clouds radiative effects, small-scale PBL dynamics, turbulences and fluxes, physical and chemical properties of the precipitation etc.

The centre started to be used in autumn 2019 and was set up using CEO-TERRA project co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development, through the Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020, POC-A.1-A.1.1.1- F- 2015-152/2016.