NOAA’s Climate Reference Network: An Automated Long-Term Climate Monitoring Station for Extreme Climates Tiksi Russia Climate Observatory Planning Meeting NOAA – Earth System Research Laboratory Boulder, Colorado Michael Helfert 1 , Tilden Meyers 2 , Mark Hall 2 , Grant Goodge 1 & Howard Diamond 1 NOAA - National Climatic Data Center 1 NOAA - Atmospheric Turbulence & Diffusion Division 2 Asheville, North Carolina 1 and Oak Ridge, Tennessee 2 March 7-9, 2007
Transcript
NOAA’s Climate Reference Network: An Automated Long-Term
Climate Monitoring Station for Extreme Climates
Tiksi Russia Climate Observatory Planning Meeting NOAA – Earth System Research Laboratory
Boulder, Colorado
Michael Helfert1, Tilden Meyers2, Mark Hall2, Grant Goodge1 & Howard Diamond1
Asheville, North Carolina1 and Oak Ridge, Tennessee2
March 7-9, 2007
What’s So Special About Climate Reference Stations?
• Location, location, location!! Pristine areas.• Adhere to WMO Climate Monitoring Standards.• Station Hosts provide site for 50-100 years in
undeveloped or natural state. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Layered comms enhance data completeness.• Laboratory-grade, redundant instrumentation.• Emphasis on metadata & data ingest (98%).• Daily monitoring, QA/QC, traceable standards,
systematic maintenance/ calibration pgms
National Climatic Data Center
• Conservative Tiksi Option: Mount the Redundant Climate Reference Network Precision Primary Sensors for P & T# on 10m or 50m towers.
Air Temperature (power-aspirated; radiation-shielded);Precipitation Accumulation (All-Weather/Temperature).
#1.5 mtrs above deepest snowpack
• Other Possible Measurements at 1.5 metersWind Speed (at sensor throat/inlet) - Wv/Wd sensor?Global Solar Radiation – dubious meritGround Surface (Skin) Temperature – dubious merit
-----------------------------------Not Advised----------------------------------- Relative Humidity – Very low end of sensor range. Barometric Pressure – is better instrument available? Soil moisture/temperature – permafrost/muskeg
**WMO Climate Observing Standards
Considering A Proper CRN Precision Sensor Suite for Tiksi**
T1
T2
T3
Primary Instrumentation Only
Four precipitation gauges inside a double windshield,with a single alter as 3rd windfence
Three separately housed, power-aspirated platinum-resistance thermometers
Functionality of Triply Redundant Primary Sensors
Fairbanks, Alaska CRN Station
Power Feed
Central Tower,
Instruments
& Datalogger
8-meter diameter SDFIR surrounds the four precipitation gauges
SDFIR elevated above mean January snow
depth.
An All-Sensor Climate Reference Network StationAn All-Sensor Climate Reference Network Station
Cornell University, New York StateCornell University, New York State
Datalogger
Anemometer
Ground Temperature
Wetness Sensor
Power Control
Three Lab-Grade Thermometers in Individual Ventilated Radiation Housings
Solar Radiation (Pyranometer)
Multi-check precipitation gauge with backup gauge inside a large wind fence
Satellite comms (pre-cover)
Soil Moisture & Soil Temperature
Relative Humidity
Redundant CommunicationsCRN has multiple data communication levelsto assure 98% archival data ingest for POR
A daily status report verifies the condition and availability of all communications networks and station data reports.
1-3. Three separate satellite receiving stations and backups for three GOES satellites.
4-6. Transmissions include previous two hours obs.7. Individual Station Dataloggers (34-month storage).
(8). Local readout desired/required (?).-----------------------------------------------------------------
• There are 96 CRN sites operating, 50+ more planned. • Two stations report via ground communications (test sites). • The other 94 report via the GOES DCS satellite system. • Network data ingest for POR (2000-2007) is 99.7%
March 5, 2007
Antenna icing initially led to low data collection until a slippery fiberglass cover was backfitted in 2005.
Data ingest increased from Barrow Alaska from 72% to 98+% completeness following antenna cover installation.
**98% data completeness is the Minimum Data Ingest Floor
Typical U.S. CRN Precipitation Gauge in light-to-medium snowfall area (Quinnault WA).
Gauge throat elevation is 1.5 meters to conform to WMO Measurement Standards.
• Barrow Tower Antenna Cover, 03 2005.JPG
Barrow Alaska – Lesson Learned: “Normals” are changing – therefore build the wind fence above the expected (new)
record snowfall ... (March 2004)
Barrow SDFIRNewly Elevated SDFIR at Barrow, Alaska CRN Station
CRN Fairbanks, AK
SDFIR elevated above mean
January snow depth.
Geonor Triple-Transducer Precipitation Gauge
Mass/depth of precipitation is determined by frequency of wire variation. Picture is of single transducer/wire Geonor gauge. CRN site gauges have three transducers/wires around gauge.
transducer/wire
Aspirated shields with solar
radiation sensor and satellite
antenna, Murphy, Idaho
Bent & twisted radiation shield – instrument OK.
Crushed radiation hat – instrument continued functioning nominally
Survival of Barrow, Alaska stationafter polar bear hug(s).No sensor damage and no sensordrifts out of calibration followed.
T1
T2 T3
NOAA Engineer Summer Luncheon: CRN Station Maintenance, Barrow AK
•
Polar beer laying in the grass waiting for a CRN engineer to lunch with: Barrow, Alaska
Primary Outer Rainbands 1 and 2
Newton Mississippi CRN Station
Hurricane Eye
1300 Hours CST August 29, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
127 mph at landfall
Local Time (hrs)
North Storm morphology SouthPeak Wind at 1.5 m = 13 m/s
Phenomena That Have Fooled Us:
St. Mary (Glacier National Park), Montana, Ground Effect Blizzard:
Climate Reference Network (CRN) &
Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) Measurements
3 clear days with constant snowfall:
Nov 29- Dec 1, 2006
False Snow Event Winds-Glacier National Park, Montana
• Winds were measured at St. Mary CRN and the nearby (200m) Natl Park Service RAWS,
29 Nov-1 Dec 2006• Instrument elevation differences:
• Winds at both locations in close agreement during event – variance <5%. Max winds 29 mph St. Mary CRN (1.5 m); 31 mph St. Mary RAWS (10M).
• Webcam showed laminar-flow blowing snow with thickness of 15-20 mtrs persisted for 3 days. False precip total estimated at 10 mm.
Reference Stake
Web cam view SW 0920 MST Jan 31, 2007
Temp 19 F (-8 C)
Web cam view SW at 12:17 MST Nov. 29, 2006
Temp. 12 F (-11C)
Reference Stake
Wind Gust SSW 31 mph
CONCLUSIONS
CRN Station Lessons – Alaska; Rocky Mountains; Montana; Maine
• Sturdiest possible equipment to withstand wildlife curiosity & extreme environments.
• Use multiple sensors in case one fails.• Plan for deep snow, & raise station vertically.• Record data locally for comms outages.• Build stations where there is reliable power.• Daily QA/QC (HON) monitoring & analysis.• Goal is highest confidence, irrefutable data.• Adhere to WMO, NAS, NOAA Climate Principles.• Plan to suceed; don’t be arrogant; learn; evolve.
