Survey on alternatives for dangerous and obsolete ...

VAISALA AWARD ‐ 2016 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INSTRUMENTATION

AND METHODS OF OBSERVATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Survey on alternatives for dangerous and obsolete instruments WMO - IOM 117

TECO – 2016, Madrid, Spain, 27‐30 Sep

Ms. Amudha Bakthavathsalu

India MeteorologicalDepartment (IMD)

Dr. Rabia Merrouchi

National Meteorologicalservice of Morocco

Acknowledgements

India Meteorological Department

National Meteorological Service Morocco

Members of the Expert Team on Regional Instruments Centres, Calibration and Traceability (2010‐2014)

World Meteorological Organisation and Dr. Isabelle Ruedi, WMO in particular.

Vaisala

Family, colleagues and friends



Former DGMAVM Dr. Ajit Tyagi

Ex‐ DGM Dr. L.S. Rathore, IMD, New Delhi and Permanent Representative at WMO

Present DGM Dr. K.J. Ramesh, IMD New Delhi.



Background for initiating the survey which led to WMO IOM 117

At its Fifteenth Session (2‐8 Sept. 2010, Helsinki, Finland), CIMO recalled

the need for new, simple and inexpensive instruments and associated calibration facilities

to replace health hazardous (mercury) instruments and obsolete instrumentation

still used in numerous NMHSs in developing countries.



Minamata Convention on Mercury, 2013

128 countries have ratified it.

India signed it on 30 Sep 2014.

72 % countries which have responded to the questionairre have ratified the Minamata guidelines

Survey on alternatives for dangerous and obsolete instrumentsWMO IOM 117

Element Mercury (Hg) Z = 80 also known as quicksilver, a liquid metal. Discoverer : Unknown.

Known to ancient Chinese, Egyptians (1500 B.C), Hindus

Mercury is not found free in nature.

Cinnabar – is the only important ore of Mercury.

Toxic mercury sulfide mineral with a chemical composition of HgS.

Almadén Mines, Spain produced more than 250,000 tonnes of mercury in the galleries dug out in the 17th ‐ 18th centuries Inventions

Barometer : 1643 – Toricelli

Thermometer : 1724 – Farenheit…

Celsius scale (1742)

OPAG CAPACITY BUILDINGC1. Expert Team on

Regional Instrument Centres, Calibration and Traceability 2010‐14

Position NameDr/ Ms/Mr

Country

Chairperson Jerome Duvernoy FranceVice‐Chairperson Drago Groselj SloveniaMembers He Xiaolei China

Rabia Merrouchi Morocco

Kouichi Nakachima JapanAmudha Bakthavathsalu India

Representative from international organization(s)

Jean Ngamini Agency for the Safety of Aerial Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA)

Many work plans were finalised for action by the task teams constituted for this purpose

Under the guidance of Dr. Roger and Dr. Isabelle Ruedi, WMO


Work plan for all ET members devised by the Chairman

WMO IOM 117 - Process started in Aug 2011.

Survey initiated – Uploaded in WMO web site : July 2013www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/Questionnaires.html

responses received by Sep 2013.

First meeting of ET members

Kenyan Meteorological Services, Nairobi23-26 September 2013


http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/publications‐IOM‐series.html

http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/documents/IOM_117_mercury_final2.pdf


WMO member states and territories RA I to VI

In response to the request of WMO, 54 filled-in questionnaires were received from 52 countries of the six RAs.


191 Members of WMO (www.wmo.int)

RESPONSES RECEIVED (54 OUT OF 191 : 28 % )

34% (12 /35)

14% (3/22)

15% (8 /53)

25% (3 /12)

34% (8/23)

43% (20/46)


Response was highest from RA-VI.

RA-I and RA-V are the least.

None of the RAs is adequately represented

Significant differences are highly probable depending on the RA.

Based on just three responses each received from RA-III and RA-V countries, no definite conclusions could be arrived.


Structure of the Questionnaire

The questionnaire consists of four parts,

Part A ‐ “Generalities“ – addresses , contact number etc. 1

Part B – “Phasing out dangerous mercury‐based instruments” 13

Part C – “Use of Hydrogen and Other Chemicals” and 9

Part D – “Status on usage of obsolete instruments” 13


Use of Mercury

86 % of the members are aware of the hazardous effects of mercury.

But less cost, less complications, long term accuracyand minimum drift makes them use mercury instruments.

Financial constraints, governmental policies and lack of expertise delaythe process of switch-over.

More than three years required for the transition to digital equipments.

Summary


Use of hydrogen

Hydrogen is cheaper than helium.

Hazardous chemicals are used on-site in preparation in some countries (20%). Safety procedures are followed.

Electrolysis method seems to be widely used in the NMHS.

Cost is the major deterrent which prevents switch-over from hydrogen to helium

Summary


Use of Autographic Instruments

In use for more than 30 years (65% of the countries).

NMS use them because they are cheap, easy to maintain.

China : largest user.

India : workshop in its NMHS for production, Germany and New Zealand still use autographic instruments in VOS.

Minimum 5 years required for modernisation.

Robust equipments needed to suit region – specific extreme weather conditions.


Summary

Mercury-based sensors and autographic instruments are still widely in use.

50 % of the Members have not started withdrawal process.

Replacement : a slow and planned process, need to ensure sufficient duration of parallel measurements

Role of CIMO : create awareness about the dangers of mercury for health and environment.

Imports - Assistance of WMO and international collaboration by familiarizationand training workshops are necessary.

Calibration procedures – Advice by CIMO – necessary.

Development of technical expertise in Member countries - WMO


Recommendations

A more effective communication and feedback mechanism to involve maximum WMO member countries.

Toxicity of mercury and the need for safety.

Promote awareness of the Minamata Convention on mercury.

Prepare a progressive framework of guidelines for transition to electronic devices before the year 2020.

Methods for disposal of mercury in a safe manner.


Recommendations (contd..)

Retention of Mercury barometers and thermometers only in calibration labs.

Investigation of cost vs benefit of phasing out.

Policy for periodic calibration of the digital equipments with international/national level digital standards.

Technical notes on calibration and field verification kits.


Recommendations (contd..)

Analyse the complexities of automation - various factors involved.

CIMO – visionary planning – Role of RICs – calibration procedures –traceability of digital standards

International exchange of successful experiences of other Membercountries who have already switched-over to modern alternatives.

Collaboration with manufacturers for stable, cost-effective, accuratealternatives for mercury based instruments


STEERING TOWARDS NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Automatic Weather Station is one of the alternatives.Co-locating digital and conventional systems for validationAutomation is a challenging concept and pitfalls are likely.More expensive compared to the traditional instruments.Requires more competence, expertise, budget, manpower, trainingand adequate calibration facilities .Hesitant to initiate transition due to the long term stability in mercury-based instruments.Restoration time will be more in automated station.


Survey : Questions before us…!!

WMO member countries : 191; Responses received : 54

What is the status of usage of mercury based instruments in countries which have not responded? How to know? Role of WMO‐CIMO in this process

How to dispose off mercury instruments? Guidelines – monitoring mechanism for each country

Whether year 2020 is too near a target for phasing out mercury based instruments?

Governmental policies – financial aspects – accuracy – maintaining homogenity – capacity building – adaptation : Major bottlenecks

How climatological normals will be handled? ‐ Global instructions to be circulated – wide reach


Moroccan approach providing modern alternatives to replace dangerous and obsolete

meteorological instruments

Rabia Merrouchi

TECO 2014, St Petersburg, 7‐9 July 2014


National Meteorological Service ‐Morocco

• The process of automationstarted in 1992 and In 2010all synoptic stations (40) areequipped by AWOS.

• A new network of additional156 AWOS was alsoimplemented


The National Context (Morocco)



The Problem…

• Employee of synoptic stations needs back‐up to withdraw dangerous andobsolete instruments

Lack of confidence in AWOS and in the performance and efficiency of themaintenance process

The Approach…

• To design and to acquire independent modern alternatives that could beused as back‐up in case of failure of the AWOS


Rainfall

•the use of an automatic self recording TBRG with dedicated data logger

Many manufacturers provide such equipment and the price of this automatic SRRG is at least 50% cheaper than the traditional

autographic tipping bucket rain recorder.



The National Context (Morocco)Atmospheric pressure …

mercury barometer, barograph

•Easily calibrated and adjusted usingthe automatic pressure generators ofthe RIC of Casablanca..

•the cost is three times cheaper thanthe cost of the mercury barometer.


Air temperature and Humidity + Soil T°

the cost of this alternative is cheaperthan the combined total cost of athermograph, hair hygrograph,psychrometer and soil mercurythermometers.



Solution 2: Météo‐FranceNew electronic thermometers for the Cooperative observation network, Météo‐France, TECO 2010

•A new automatic solution for wind measurements as backup of themeasurements made by the AWOS in airports including:

• Solar panel, mast, ultrasonic wind sensor and datalogger, deporteddisplay screens for both:

•the air traffic control tower (ATC TWR) and the meteorological station,wireless connection (radio, wifi…) between the sensor (near of therunway) and the TWR and the dedicated software (2 minutes windaverage, gust, archiving…etc).•The total price of the project was cheaper than the cost of renewingthe existing autographic equipment.


Wind measurements


India – 7th largest country in the world based on area

Diverse terrain features

tropical country

Extreme Maximum temperatures reaching > 50 °C

Minimum temperatures : -4°C

Meteorological observations as early as 1793 in Chennai.Systematic data available since 1871. A member of the WMO since 27 April 1949


surface meteorological observatories AWS ARGs

Context of India ‐ IMD

Kew Pattern barometers : More than 600 : No mercury barometer has been removed from the observational network.

Already 184 DSB installed for parallel observations. Comparison in progress.

Mercury in the barometers ‐ cleaning schedule – purification process

India : More than 4000 mercury thermometers :

No such modern equipment like digital thermometers has been planned as on date in place of MT and autographic instruments like barographs and thermographs


Digital Automatic Recording System (DARS) –Alternative for autographic instruments

Display options in TFT

Datalogger : Indian manufacturerSensors : Imported

An indigenous state‐of‐the‐art Digital Automatic Recording System(DARS) for surface meteorological observatories, Biju et al, Mausam, 2012.


Automation of surface meteorological observatory network –challenges in India

TECO 2008non‐wooden radiation shield ‐ air temperature and humidity in AWS, Amudha B et al

TECO 2010Network of 550 AWS and 1350 ARGs across India: Manish Ranalkar, et alAgro Automatic Weather Stations performance : Anjit Anjan et alARGs ‐ Anjit Anjan et alObjective analysis of wind measurements with AWS and indigenous high wind speed recorders B. AMUDHA and Y.E.A. Raj

TECO 2012Challenges posed by the automated Indian surface observational network and responsibilities of regional instruments maintenance centres in effective quality assurance, B. Amudha

Context of India ‐ IMD ‐ Further reading

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