Assorted Observation Systems

Assorted Observation Assorted Observation SystemsSystems

Meteorology 415Meteorology 415

Fall 2011Fall 2011

Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere

Surface Surface • Automated Surface Automated Surface

Observing System Observing System (ASOS)(ASOS)

- Temp, Moisture, - Temp, Moisture, Pressure, Wind, Pressure, Wind, Solar Radiation, Solar Radiation, Cloud Height, Cloud Height, Precipitation, Precipitation, VisibilityVisibility


Network of Surface Network of Surface Hourly Observations:Hourly Observations:

- FAA (1,000)- FAA (1,000)

- FHWA (100’s)- FHWA (100’s)

- USDA (100’s)- USDA (100’s)

- DOD- DOD (100’s)(100’s)

- USFS- USFS (100’s)(100’s)

- EPA- EPA (100’s)(100’s)

Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Network of Mesoscale Network of Mesoscale

Observations:Observations:

- State DOT (1000)- State DOT (1000)

- AG Nets (1000)- AG Nets (1000)

- Private (AWS) (7000)- Private (AWS) (7000)

- Utilities (100’s)- Utilities (100’s)

Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Cooperative Cooperative

Climate Climate NetworkNetwork

(10,000)(10,000)- daily precipdaily precip- most snowmost snow- some tempsome temp- few river few river

gaugesgauges

Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Cooperative Cooperative


Backbone of Backbone of the nation’s the nation’s climate climate recordsrecords

Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Historical Historical


(1,000 (1,000 subset)subset)

- Basis of US Basis of US Climate Climate TrendsTrends


Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Radiosonde Radiosonde

Network (100)Network (100)


Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Atmospheric Atmospheric

SoundingSounding• Twice a dayTwice a day• TemperatureTemperature• DewpointDewpoint• WindsWinds- Area equal to Area equal to

energyenergy


Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Profiler Network Profiler Network

(dozens)(dozens)


Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Profiler Cross-Profiler Cross-

SectionSection• Every 6 minutesEvery 6 minutes• WindsWinds• Density (T,M)Density (T,M)


Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Suomi-Net (100)Suomi-Net (100)

Real-Time Integrated Real-Time Integrated Water Content of the Water Content of the Atmosphere based Atmosphere based on GPS attenuationon GPS attenuation


Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Suomi-NetSuomi-Net

A time series of A time series of precipitable water precipitable water vapor vapor

Related to surface Related to surface flux of out-going long flux of out-going long wave radiationwave radiation

Used as a calibration Used as a calibration for other estimates of for other estimates of water contentwater content


Cross-SectionsCross-Sections• ACARS – Aircraft ACARS – Aircraft

Communications Communications Addressing and Addressing and Reporting SystemReporting System

(4,000 daily)(4,000 daily)


Cross-SectionsCross-Sections• ACARSACARS

Winds and Winds and Temperatures along Temperatures along the flight paththe flight path

Important reports of Important reports of Turbulence, both in Turbulence, both in cloud and clear aircloud and clear air


Horizontal – surface observing Horizontal – surface observing systems; hourly, dailysystems; hourly, daily

Vertical – weather balloons, Doppler Vertical – weather balloons, Doppler radar, GPS radar, GPS

Cross-Section – Aircraft sensorsCross-Section – Aircraft sensors

ReferencesReferences

http://acweb.fsl.noaa.gov/ruc_acars/http://acweb.fsl.noaa.gov/ruc_acars/ http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/ http://www.weather.gov/om/coop/http://www.weather.gov/om/coop/ http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/

nws_upper.htmnws_upper.htm http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/

html/mesonet/meso_mtn.pdfhtml/mesonet/meso_mtn.pdf

Documents

Assorted Observation Systems