Bright future built on a solid past– Vaisala’s 70th anniversary

And next: the weather report– Vaisala on KMGH-TV

Getting ready for the Winter Olympics 2006 in Turin

Approaching the runway– Vaisala RVR systems for U.S. airports

Vaisala News170 / 2006

Cover photo:

Jupiter Images

Editor-in-Chief:

Marikka Metso

Publisher:

Vaisala Oyj

P.O. Box 26

FI-00421 Helsinki

FINLAND

Phone (int.):

+ 358 9 894 91

Telefax:

+ 358 9 8949 2227

Internet:

www.vaisala.com

Design and Artwork:

Sampo Korkeila

Printed in Finland by:

SP-Paino

ISSN 1238-2388

Vaisala in Brief– We develop, manufacture and market products and ser-vices for environmental and industrial measurements.

– The purpose of these mea-surements is to provide a basis for a better quality of life, cost savings, environmental protection, improved safety and better performance.

– We focus on market seg-ments where we can be the world leader, the preferred supplier. We put a high pri-ority on customer satisfac-tion and product leadership. We secure our competitive advantage through econo-mies of scale and scope.

Contents3 Continuousimprovement–

aprerequisiteforsuccess

4 Brightfuturebuiltonasolidpast

6 Andnext:theweatherreport

9 GettingreadyfortheWinterOlympics2006inTurin

11 Approachingtherunway

12 Flyinghighwithstrengthenedorganization

13 Observingthewondersoftheuniverse

14 PromotingroadsafetyinNorthEastItaly

15 Nomoreservicedisruptions

16 Vaisalaenterstheweatherradarbusiness

17 PuttingthenewVaisalasondetothetest

18 Vaisalaozonesoundingcapabilitiesundertightscrutiny

20 Observingweatherintheupperatmosphere

21 StudyingseverestormsinsouthernBrazil

22 HelsinkiTestbedupandrunning

24 COST-effectivescientificcooperation

26 Fromwindprofilingtochasingagolfball

28 Updateonhurricaneresearchandforecasting

29 Brieflynoted

Vaisala celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2006. Page 4

Mike Nelson is the Chief Meteorologist at KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado. When he started working at KMGH-TV his goal was to develop a weather presentation that would serve as a model for television stations around the country.Page 6

Getting the weather forecast right is vital for any outdoor sports - particularly the Winter Olympics. The meteorological authorities in Turin are rely-ing on Vaisala equipment to provide the best weather data for their Olympic event. Page 9

2 | Vaisala News 170 / 2006

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As climate change continues, we witness more and more extreme weather events. The old mission of the national meteo-rological services - to provide warnings in order to protect life and property - is more current than ever. Great progress has been made in this area over the years but there is still room for further improvement.

As Vaisala celebrates its 70th an-niversary we can proudly say that we have played a big role in the evolution of ever-improving weather services. Our role has traditionally been to provide the observation technology, in other words the fundamental tools for good forecasts and warnings. The past 70 years have in-cluded many successes -but also some failures. Risk-taking is an important part of innovation, and failures should be viewed as part of the game.

I believe there have been some great successes that we can be particularly proud of. Our role as the main supplier of radiosondes worldwide is a great honor and a big responsibility. We have earned this position by listening to our custom-ers, continuously improving our technol-ogy, and by testing and re-testing. It is astonishing how a good concept - even if it is over 70 years old - is still so practical and functional today. The latest scientific studies show that radiosonde data is by far the most valuable tool for medium range forecasts. Satellite data comple-ments radiosonde data but has little val-ue alone. In-situ measurements continue to provide the most accurate data.

Our humidity measurement business started from radiosondes but later de-veloped into a business of its own. Even though humidity measurement technol-ogy continues to be important to our meteorological customers, its sales to industrial applications have outgrown

the traditional market in size. This world-leading position has also been achieved through intensive research and customer cooperation. The synergy with the radio-sonde business continues to be strong, as it provides the basic volume for sen-sor element manufacturing. High volume helps us to streamline the manufacturing process for high quality and yield. The same is true for our barometric pressure sensor manufacturing.

We are also the leading provider of so-called optical instruments - for vis-ibility, present weather, and cloud height measurement. The main application was at airports in the early years, but today these measurements are also used in oth-er professional weather applications. Our commitment to aviation safety has kept us focused, and we have earned the trust of our demanding customers through continuous improvement.

Traffic weather is another long-term commitment. Sensors required for road applications have been subject to inten-sive research and development for a long time. The latest remote sensing type sen-sors are a good example of our innovation ability. In addition to sensing technology, we have invested in signal processing in order to translate measurements into ac-tionable messages for highway engineers. This effort has made us the world market leader in traffic weather systems.

As the meteorological community has always been international, the mar-ket has also been very competitive. This has created a need for continuous im-provement as a prerequisite for success. The whole industry has benefited from this. Our founder Vilho Väisälä’s example has been a great inspiration to us as we strive to serve you better. I believe that this inheritance will also prove valuable in the future.

Continuous improvement – a prerequisite for success

Pekka Ketonen President and CEO

As Vaisala celebrates its 70th anniversary we can proudly say that we have played a big role in the evolution of ever-improving weather services.

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  �

Vaisala has been an internationally es-teemed company known for its premi-um-class products and solutions from the very beginning. Originating from one man’s talent, vision and persistence, Vai-sala has gradually evolved to become a world leader in many fields of environ-mental and industrial measurement.

In 2006, we enthusiastically welcome what the future has in store for us, while proudly glancing back at some highlights along our way so far.

Founding father Vilho VäisäläProfessor Vilho Väisälä (1889-1969) was an esteemed inventor as well as the founder and long-standing Managing Director of Vaisala. He set an example of creativity, high quality, devotion, pride in professional skills, and belief in one’s own abilities - all qualities much honored at Vaisala today.

Vaisala’s origins date back to the 1930s when Professor Väisälä invented some of the operating principles of a radiosonde. He sent the first Finnish radiosonde aloft in December 1931.

Commercial production since 1936After the first sounding, Väisälä contin-ued with further development and tests until a radiosonde could be brought into commercial production. Radiosonde de-liveries started in 1936.

From the very start, Professor Väisälä’s company was an international business, exporting 95 percent of its production. Amongst its first customers was the Mas-sachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT. In 1937, Väisälä’s radiosonde won a gold medal at the World Fair in Paris. As the

radiosonde became internationally re-nowned, demand increased.

In 1944, Professor Väisälä established the company under the name Mittari Oy (“Gauge Incorporated”, renamed Vaisala in 1955) and set up manufacturing fa-cilities for radiosonde systems. The first sounding system included a semi-auto-matic radiosonde receiver, a calibration device and a ground check set. The com-pany employed 13 people at the time.

Recovering from the warsWorld War II, the Finnish Winter War 1939-1940 and the Finnish Continuation War 1941-1944 disrupted many lives, and upset business and delivery activi-ties internationally.

The post-war decades witnessed a strenuous effort to revive the national and international economies. Vaisala grew to employ 60 people in 1954. The first issue of Vaisala News magazine was published in 1959.

Thanks to major product develop-ment efforts, during the 1950s and 1960s the Vaisala Sounding System became completely electronic, the first automatic radiosonde receiver and the world’s first fully transistorized radiosonde were in-troduced, and the first weather satellite image receiver was delivered. Yrjö Toivola took over as the Managing Director of the company when Professor Vilho Väisälä passed away in 1969.

Vigorous 70s & 80sThe 1970s and 1980s were busy decades for Vaisala. Thin-film technology was de-veloped for Vaisala HUMICAP® humid-ity sensors - the first in the world. The Vaisala CORA® Automatic Sounding

System - along with automatic weather stations, road weather stations and avia-tion weather systems - was introduced. In 1975, Vaisala employed over 200 people.

During the 1980s, numerous new of-fices were established to ensure the com-pany’s ability to serve customers world-wide - in the UK, Japan, USA, Germany, and Australia. A traffic weather company was also acquired in the UK.

Vaisala’s first clean room was built to enable the design and manufacture of semiconductors in-house. Vaisala BAROCAP® barometric pressure sen-sor technology was introduced, as well as a new radiosonde family - the Vaisala Radiosonde RS80. The Professor Vilho Väisälä Award was established in coop-eration with the WMO, to stimulate inter-est in meteorological research involving meteorological observation methods and instruments.

Looking to the new millenniumVaisala’s current CEO Pekka Ketonen was appointed in 1992. This could be seen to mark the beginning of yet another era in Vaisala’s development. The company was listed on the Helsinki Exchanges in 1994. By then, it employed over 600 people.

Further product developments in-cluded the introduction of GPS technol-ogy for upper air wind measurement, the Vaisala CARBOCAP® CO2 sensor, and Vai-sala DRYCAP® sensor technology for in-dustrial dewpoint measurement.

New offices were established in France and China, and business acquisitions in aviation weather and surface weather further enhanced Vaisala’s presence in the USA.

Marikka MetsoEditor-in-Chief

VaisalaHelsinki, Finland

Bright future built on a solid pastVaisala celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2006.

�  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

The new millennium was kicked-off with yet more business acquisitions - in wind profiling, lightning detection and aviation weather. U.S. manufacturing op-erations were concentrated in Boulder CO, USA. New product launches included a new radiosonde product family - the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92, as well as the Vaisala Weather Transmitter, which mea-sures the six most essential weather pa-rameters in one compact instrument. A new and improved clean room is another recent introduction, and a clear sign of the company’s commitment to quality and innovation.

Success continuesFrom a modest start, the company has evolved to become a world leader in many measurement fields.

Today, Vaisala employs over 1,000 people. Its 22 offices in 11 countries and distributor network serve customers in more than 100 countries. Advanced tech-nology, active research and development, and a high degree of specialization char-acterize all of Vaisala’s business units.

Professor Vilho Väisälä (1889-1969) was an esteemed inventor as well as the founder and long-standing Managing Director of Vaisala.

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  �

Mike Nelson is the Chief Meteorologist at KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado. When he started working at KMGH-TV his goal was to develop a weather presentation that would serve as a model for television stations around the country.

Mike has not wasted time fulfilling his dream: over the past 18 months KMGH-TV has added a new radar and weather display system, built an entire new weath-er center, and redesigned their website’s presentation of weather information.

One of Mike’s frustrations has long been the lack of truly credible weather observations for the downtown Denver Metropolitan area. Members of the pub-lic frequently ask why KMGH take the readings at Denver International Airport, 30 miles east of Denver, instead of where all the people live. The basic answer is that weather observations are primarily for aviation safety, so they are taken at the airport.

The actual reporting station location has been moved several times over the years, for a variety of reasons. The Sta-pleton Airport in downtown Denver was used from the 1920s, when the airport was established there. Prior to Staple-ton, from the early 1870s the Denver ob-servations were taken from the Denver Water Board, the Post Office, and other downtown locations. Scientists would like to have 130 years of consistent data, but they have to deal with the changing

locations caused by changing fiscal and political landscapes.

Sometimes the location makes a sig-nificant difference. For example, when a “back door” cold front hits the air-port with wind, cold, and snow, it will be hours before it gets to downtown Denver. Sometimes the weather from one locale to the next is very different from what you might expect. This is why adding a downtown observation site at KMGH -TV made sense for both short-term weather events as well as longer scale climate studies.

Best equipment – best dataIn 2004, Mike started to discuss the idea of a joint effort between Vaisala, KMGH-TV, and the National Weather Service. In August 2005, Vaisala and KMGH installed a Vaisala HydroMet™ System MAWS301 weather station at the KMGH broadcast facility in downtown Denver, and be-gan to show the readings from the sta-tion as “downtown observation” live on television. With the Vaisala system, Mike feels confident that the quality and ac-curacy of data is very high. The system has worked flawlessly. KMGH is now in the process of adding a LIVE display of current conditions to its station website: www.thedenverchannel.com.

Public-private partnershipsIn July 2005, Mike addressed an assembly of the National Weather Service, the Na-tional Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and television personnel at a conference in Boulder, Colorado. The main topic of discussion was the future

of joint cooperation between the govern-ment and private sectors.

At the meeting, Mike spoke of his vision of utilizing the many quality broadcast meteorologists at media stations around the nation. In almost every TV market, there is at least one meteorologist that is truly passionate about weather forecast-ing and quality observations. Mike sees cooperation between the government and private sector as an opportunity to add more accurate weather observations to the dataset used by the public sector, without great expense to the taxpayer-funded National Weather Service.

Weather is good businessIn addition to the scientific value of high quality weather observation, the Vaisala station installation is also “good business” for the television station. Much of the station’s audience makes their decision to watch a particular station based upon the perceived accuracy of that station’s weather reports. By providing very accu-rate readings for Denver, both KMGH and Vaisala feel that the partnership makes KMGH the number one choice for weath-er information in Colorado.

Mike Nelson Chief Meteorologist

KMGH-TV Denver, CO, USA

Richard Pyle

Manager, North American HydroMet Vaisala

Boulder, CO, USA

And next: the weather report

�  |  Vaisala News  170 / 200�

Mike Nelson (left) gives Vaisala’s Larry Weaver and Ali Bey tips on how to present weather news.

Project Engineer Larry Weaver and Customer Service Supervi-sor Ali Bey installing the Vaisala HydroMet™ System MAWS301 on top of the Channel 7 building in downtown Denver.

170 / 200�  Vaisala News  |  7

�  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2005

ARPA Piemonte has been the Piemon-te regional environment agency in Italy since 1995. It focuses on risk prevention and the reduction of air pollution, as well as on water quality. Since November 2002, the tasks of hydrological, seismic and me-teorological risk management - including avalanche risk - have also been included in ARPA Piemonte’s duties.

ARPA Piemonte manages a regional real-time network of about 500 automat-ic weather stations, two autosondes, two weather radars, one radar wind profiler, and one temperature profiler.

ARPA Piemonte’s department “Area Previsione e Monitoraggio Ambientale” manages the forecast center in Turin, which is responsible for the monitoring, surveillance and forecasting of hydrome-teorological events. The center is oper-ated all year round, and supports the civil protection operations in the region. The center provides weather forecasting ser-vices by monitoring significant meteo-rological phenomena and offering now-casting and short and medium range (2-3 days to 1 week) forecasts in the region. Specialized snow forecasts are also pro-cessed to provide local assistance in the Alpine area; the snow surface is continu-ously monitored to prepare ski tracks for sports events, and avalanche danger is monitored to regulate the access and use of ski areas.

Meeting the needs of different sportsARPA Piemonte is the exclusive provider of meteorological services for the Winter Olympics 2006 in Turin. ARPA Piemonte will provide assistance in monitoring and forecasting the most important weath-er parameters during all phases of the

Olympics. To prepare for this, in Decem-ber 2003 ARPA Piemonte opened a me-teorological center in Sestriere. The goal is to collect measurements on meteoro-logical conditions and the status/devel-opment of snow surface, and to develop local weather reports to meet the needs of the different sports.

The existing monitoring network will feed important data to the forecast cen-ters in Turin and Sestriere. In addition, ARPA Piemonte procured an interna-tional tender to acquire new stand-alone equipment and sensors to upgrade the existing surface network. This network upgrade is being executed by Vaisala as a joint-venture with Eurelettronica Icas, Vaisala’s long-term representative in Italy.

Easy-to-use portable equipmentVaisala supplied 16 mobile Vaisala Hy-droMet™ Automatic Weather Stations MAWS201, 4 portable Vaisala Present Weather Detectors PWD22, as well as Vaisala MetMan™ Network Software. The contract also included the supply and installation of additional equipment, such as video cameras for environmen-tal monitoring, and global and net solar radiation sensors for the existing auto-matic weather stations.

The 16 portable weather stations were supplied with pressure, temperature, hu-midity, wind and solar radiation sensors, and equipped with solar panels. Each sta-tion comes in two robust and light boxes, which can be easily brought to site and installed in less than 30 minutes by one operator. No special tools are required and everything the operator needs is in-cluded in the installation kit.

The stations work based on a program that instructs them what to measure, log, calculate and report. A basic setup is loaded in the program memory at the factory. This allows the customer to just connect the sensors and communication lines and supply power to the station to have it up and running. The stations al-low the customer to freely reconfigure the setup files or make totally new ones. They are equipped with flash memory for easy data reading on any PC with a PCMCIA slot. Data is collected using the network software through the GSM/GPRS com-munication network.

The present weather detectors were supplied for use both with the portable weather stations and in fixed installa-tions. With a visibility measurement range of 10-20,000 meters, the Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22 is a two-in-one forward scatter visibility and present weather sensor.

Maria Rita LecceseManaging Director

Eurelettronica Icas Srl.Rome, Italy

Mr Stefano Bovo heads the department responsible for weather measurements and forecasts for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics.

Getting the weather forecast right is vital for any outdoor sports – particularly the Winter Olympics. The meteorological authori-ties in Turin are relying on Vaisala equipment to provide the best weather data for their Olympic event.

Getting ready for the Winter Olympics 2006 in Turin

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  �

Post-Award Conference participants at Vaisala’s Boulder, CO, office in August 2005.

10  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States recently awarded Vaisala a contract to develop and deliver PC-based runway visual range (RVR) systems for U.S. airports. The contract includes options for delivery of up to 77 RVR systems and associated spares. In addition, Vaisala will provide full program management, training and logistics support to the FAA.

RVR is a calculated estimation of the distance that a pilot can see down a run-way. Prevailing weather conditions ( fog, rain, snow, etc.) have the most impact on the RVR, but ambient light level and the runway light settings are also an impor-tant part of the equation.

Monitoring several runways with one system The PC-based RVR system utilizes mea-surements by several Vaisala sensors. The Vaisala Visibility Sensor FS11 deter-mines the meteorological optical range or visibility, the Vaisala Background Lu-minance Sensor LM21 measures the am-bient light level, and the Runway Light In-tensity Monitor (RLIM) - currently under development - determines the intensity settings of the runway lights.

The sensors are connected to a Vai-sala MIDAS IV Automated Weather Ob-serving System that computes the RVR value and transmits the data through various interfaces to the users. The MI-DAS IV Data Processing Unit (DPU) may be duplicated to provide redundancy in the case of hardware failure. Up to 30 vis-ibility sensors may be connected to the MIDAS IV DPU, allowing monitoring of several runways with one and the same system. The main users are Air Traffic

Control personnel who access the RVR data through Controller Displays that are also being developed by Vaisala.

Vaisala’s experience and reputation sealed the dealVaisala was awarded the contract after the FAA had comprehensively evaluat-ed the available technology, corporate technical capability and past contractual performance. The system proposed by Vaisala represents a low technical risk to the FAA, since many similar systems are already in use around the world. Vaisala’s high quality optical sensor technology, coupled with its experience and reputa-tion as a high quality aviation weather system provider, helped Vaisala to rise above the competition.

Meeting the customer’s specificationsVaisala’s Aviation Weather design team in Helsinki will further develop the sys-tem to meet FAA specifications. A major portion of the development work will concentrate on the software and hard-ware interfaces, to allow the system to

connect with other FAA equipment and data networks.

The ongoing development phase calls for frequent and comprehensive techni-cal reviews with the FAA to ensure that every requirement is addressed. After the design is completed and approved, pro-totype systems will be built and installed at selected U.S. airports for operational qualification testing. One of the proto-types will undergo a strict laboratory test program to verify system compliance with all FAA specifications.

Comprehensive training includedIn addition to designing the system hard-ware and software, Vaisala will develop and provide comprehensive operator training for the FAA’s technical opera-tions specialists, to allow them to ef-fectively install, operate and maintain the system. The logistics support docu-mentation to be developed includes an Operator’s Manual, a Technical Instruc-tion Manual and Software Maintenance Manuals.

The program’s Post-Award Conference was held at Vaisala’s Boulder facility in August 2005. 25 FAA personnel represent-ing all of the FAA organizations involved in the program attended, along with Vai-sala’s RVR program team. This successful three-day conference served as a kick-off meeting for the program, ensuring that participants from each organization un-derstand the contract requirements and share the same goals.

Deliveries of the RVR systems are scheduled to start in early 2008.

Tapani LaineRVR Program Manager

VaisalaBoulder, CO, USA

Approaching the runwayVaisala wins FAA contract to supply RVR systems for U.S. airports.

Vaisala’s high quality optical sensor technology, coupled with its experience and reputation as a high quality aviation weather system provider, helped Vaisala to rise above the competition.

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  11

Vaisala Aviation Weather’s commitment to service and value was recently elevated and expanded through a major acquisition.

One of the primary goals for Vaisala Avia-tion Weather is to offer systems, services and solutions to improve the overall ex-perience of our airport customers. By improving the performance of current weather observation operations, lowering lifecycle costs, or developing solutions for challenging airport environments, Vai-sala adds overall value to our premium-class aviation weather products. This commitment to service and value was recently elevated and expanded through a major acquisition.

In July 2005, Vaisala acquired CLH, Inc., a company that has specialized in the installation and maintenance of Au-

tomated Weather Observing Systems, AWOS/NADIN communications, and pilot briefing systems for more than a decade.

Over the years, Vaisala customers in the USA have benefited from the coop-erative relationship between Vaisala and CLH. This dynamic team has now joined forces to provide one customer-focused business unit that is entirely immersed in the aviation weather community.

New products and services for aviation customersThe combined expertise of the two com-panies allows for the development of new products and services for aviation customers. The company is better posi-tioned to provide a wider variety of prod-ucts and services that meet the needs of airport management and operations.

In addition to premium weather sys-tems, Vaisala Aviation Weather is able to

provide full program support, including project design, installation, maintenance and data services. Through the acquisi-tion of CLH, our customer service group now offers the following services:– Fully staffed customer and field

service department– Proactive system monitoring and

maintenance programs– Years of experience in AWOS

installation and maintenance– Intimate knowledge of the AWOS in

its operating environment– AWOS and Airport Technician

support– AWOS data collection and

dissemination services.

Customers will continue to see a strong understanding of and commitment to aviation.

Geoff BingManager, Aviation Weather

VaisalaBoulder, CO, USA

Flying high with strengthened organization

12  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

Gilles AthierOMP

Laboratoire d’Aérologie Toulouse, France

Observing the wonders of the universe

Pic du Midi observatory in the Pyrenees.(Photos courtesy of Mr. Gilles Athier)

Since its construction in the 19th century, the Pic du Midi observatory has enabled the long-term measurement of the physical and chemical param-eters of the environment.

The construction of the observatory on top of the Pic du Midi (2860 m) in the Pyrenees began in 1878. Early activities concentrated around meteorology. After the First World War, the site grew and improved its research tools, principally in the domain of astronomy. After the Second World War, the detailed study of the solar planets and the solar crown became the main activity. The Lyot tele-scope (2m), the biggest in France, has been operational since the beginning of the eighties.

Atmospheric pollution studies with Vaisala equipmentThe activities at Pic du Midi now also include atmospheric pollution studies, thanks to the Laboratoire d’Aérologie - a French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) laboratory of the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse.

Pic du Midi is part of an observatory network called PAES: atmospheric pollu-tion on a synoptic scale. This project as-sociates measurements of atmospheric chemical composition with the regular observation of climatic parameters. The

station for automatic measurements of atmospheric composition was installed and taken into use in June 2004.

The meteorological station at Pic du Midi is a Vaisala HydroMet™ System MAWS301, which comprises:- atmospheric digital pressure sensor- temperature and humidity sensor- global radiation sensor- sonic wind speed and direction sensor

The station is linked to a computer with an RS232 series connection. Data is pro-cessed and averaged with a 5-minute fre-quency. Since the installation the Vaisala station has worked flawlessly, without a single failure in the harsh environment.

The measurement data issued by the instruments is processed every hour by the database in the Laboratoire d’Aérologie.

The data can be studied at: paes.aero.obs-mip.fr/paes.html.

Further information:www.aero.obs-mip.fr/PIC_DU_MIDI_anglais/accueil/introduction.htm

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  13

Società delle Autostrade di Venezia e Pa-dova (AVP) was one of the first motor-ways established in Italy: built in 1928 and opened in 1933. Stretching 41.8 km between Padova and Venezia towards Udine and Trieste, it has always played an important role for road traffic heading towards eastern and northern Europe.

In fall 2004, AVP chose Vaisala to sup-ply an IceCast system, comprising 3 Vai-sala ROSA Weather Stations equipped with a basic set of meteorological and road state sensors as well as Vaisala Pres-ent Weather Detectors PWD12. The sys-tem architecture was carefully defined by Eng. Marco Cecchetto, Chief of the Department for Transport Studies and Strategies at AVP, who also supervised the Factory Acceptance Test at the Vai-sala factory in Helsinki.

The chosen installation sites were Dolo, Favero Dese and Castellana. A LAN/WAN data link between the weath-er stations and the IceCast server was implemented through RS485/RS232 and TCP/IP, as available locally.

Intelligent weather station compositionThe ROSA stations incorporate a Road, Pavement, Runway and Bridge Sensor DRS511, which makes 6 measurements: optical detection of asphalt coverage, surface conductivity, electrochemical polarization, surface capacitance (black ice), surface temperature, and ground temperature (-6 cm). The unique mea-surement technologies enable the accu-rate analysis of pavement state, snow and ice coverage, waterfilm thickness, and de-icing chemicals.

The present weather detectors pro-vide road authorities with visibility mea-

surement range (MOR), characterization of reduced visibility, precipitation type identification, precipitation accumula-tion/intensity measurement and report formats. The sensors identify precipita-tion type by assessing the water content of the precipitation with a capacitive Vai-sala RAINCAP® sensor. This information is combined with optical forward scatter and temperature measurements. These three independent measurements are processed through sophisticated algo-rithms to produce an accurate evalua-tion of weather type according to WMO and NWS table codes. The Vaisala Pres-ent Weather Detector PWD12 visibility measurement range is 10-2000 m.

User-friendly data collectionData measured by the ROSA weather sta-tions is transmitted and collected by Ice-Cast server and displayed with IceView software, together with weather fore-cast information (if available), in tabu-lar/graphical/cartographic views that can be configured by the user to meet specific requirements.

The Vaisala solution delivered to AVP also includes application software - Ice-Web - which creates HMTL pages from standard, predefined IceCast Viewer displays. Images are sent to an address chosen by the user to make them acces-sible with a web browser. By using the Internet/Intranet, communication costs are reduced considerably and users can easily monitor data. Webcam images are also supported.

IceCast systems with thermal map-ping have been successfully deployed on numerous motorways in Italy. Vai-sala provides an ice prediction module, which enhances standard ice detection systems. 24 hour forecasts of surface state and temperature, specific to each Vaisala ROSA Weather Station location, are generated in Italy by meteorologists of the Arpa Emilia Romagna and Arpa Piemonte regions based on local weather forecasts and Vaisala IceBreak Heat Bal-ance Model, extensively used in ice pre-diction worldwide.

Maria Rita LecceseManaging Director

Eurelettronica Icas Srl.Rome, Italy

Promoting road safety in North East Italy

Vaisala’s road weather stations have been successfully deployed on numerous motorways in Italy. One of them has recently been equipped with premium class Vaisala equipment, helping road authorities in weather critical decision-making.

14  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

The new Vaisala road sensor provides top class data on road surface conditions. The remote installation means that there is no requirement to slot cut the surface or close the road.

Vaisala has introduced the new Vai-sala Remote Road Surface State Sensor DSC111. It measures the road surface conditions more accurately than tradi-tional sensors, in real-time, distinguish-ing between water, snow, ice, slush and hoarfrost. The sensor is based on infrared optics and laser technology.

Unique measurement of gripWhat makes the new sensor unique is that it helps users to determine the fric-tion coefficient of the road, thereby iden-tify the prevailing driving conditions.

The Vaisala Remote Road Surface State Sensor DSC111 will serve as an ef-fective decision-making tool for winter maintenance authorities. Road salting,

vital for traffic safety, can now be better timed, which reduces both costs and the strain on the environment. The sensor can also be used in other road weather applications, such as weather adaptable speed limit systems, maintenance quality control, maintenance of walkways and garage slopes, as well as with automatic deicer spraying systems.

Installed by the road sideThe new sensor also differs from tradi-tional sensors in that it is installed dif-ferently. Previously, sensors have been installed on the road surface. The new sensors are installed 3-10 meters away on a post by the road side, which makes in-stallation and maintenance work much easier, and less dependent on weather conditions or timing.

The sensor has been developed in co-operation with the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) and the Finnish Road Administration. Before the official sales launch, it has been in trial use in Finland, the UK, and the United States.

No more service disruptions

The new Vaisala Remote Road Surface State Sensor DSC111 measures the road surface conditions more accu-rately than traditional sensors.

Vaisala Remote Road Surface State Sensor DSC111Several measurements compactly combined in one sensor:• Remote surface state sensing • Spectroscopic measuring

principle, individually identifying the presence of:

o Water o Ice o Slush o Snow or Frost• Unique measurement of grip • Accurate and stable

measurement results even with intense traffic

• Eye-safe laser technology • Easy installation and service • Low maintenance costs • Weather-proof, durable design • Easy integration with Vaisala

ROSA Road Weather Stations, or can operate as a standalone solution with solar/gsm options.

Marikka MetsoEditor-in-Chief

VaisalaHelsinki, Finland

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  15

Vaisala is entering the weather radar business. A business unit responsible for the commercialization of the new product becomes operative in January 2006. The weather radar compliments Vaisala’s remote sensing product offer-ing, which currently includes lightning detection systems and networks as well as wind profilers.

Vaisala’s weather radar has been de-veloped in cooperation with leading international research institutions and partners. New technologies have been investigated thoroughly in the R&D pro-cess. For example, the radar’s dual-polar-ization technology enables more precise information on the quantity and quality

Martti HusuBusiness Unit Manager, Weather Radar

VaisalaHelsinki, Finland

Vaisala enters the weather radar business

Vaisala weather radar prototype in Kumpula, Helsinki. (Photo courtesy of Harri Hohti, FMI)

New technologies have been investigated thoroughly in the R&D process.

of precipitation. A prototype has been in research and test use in Kumpula, Hel-sinki, during 2005.

A significant role in weather nowcasting

“In recent years we have constantly ex-panded our weather observation prod-uct offering, ensuring that we are well equipped to offer versatile tools - includ-ing instruments, systems, and tailored solutions - to our demanding custom-ers,” says CEO Pekka Ketonen. “The ra-dar compliments this offering. Weather radars play a significant role in weather nowcasting.”

Weather radars are mostly used by na-tional meteorological and hydrological institutes. They measure weather events in the atmosphere, such as the quantity and quality of precipitation.

The market for weather radars is es-timated at 40-60 million euros annually. The commercial introduction of the Vai-sala weather radar is estimated to take place in 2007.

Vaisala’s weather observation customers can look forward to yet another reliable solution to help them in their work and science.

16  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

The Meteorological Service of Canada found that the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92 is just as good as it is claimed to be.

Between January and April 2005, the Me-teorological Service of Canada (MSC) completed a Vaisala Radiosonde RS92/RS80 intercomparison study at its na-tional upper air training and develop-ment station in Stony Plain, Alberta. The purpose of this intercomparison was to qualify the RS92 radiosonde for opera-tional use.

A total of 50 test flights were per-formed in which the 2 radiosonde types were flown simultaneously. Test flights were performed in a variety of weather conditions to reflect the possible effects of clouds, precipitation, solar radiation, etc., and involved both the LORAN and GPS versions of the RS80 and RS92 radio-sondes. Tests also involved the use of the Vaisala Ground Check Set GC25 for the RS92 pre-flight preparations.

Convincing resultsFrom an operational perspective, observ-ers found the ground check set easy to use, with no problems encountered in its use or in the handling of the RS92 radiosondes.

From a data perspective, the RS92 ra-diosondes were found to respond better to atmospheric changes than the RS80s.

In humidity soundings, the RS92’s dual heated hygristor system provided more accurate cloud top information and more realistic humidity, particularly at cold temperatures, than the older sonde model. Wind speeds measured with both sondes compared very well, al-though there were some significant dif-ferences in wind direction at low wind speeds. This was expected, as wind di-rection is typically quite variable at low speeds. Considering its new code-corre-lated GPS processing software, the RS92 winds were considered to be the more ac-curate whenever differences were noted. In addition, there were fewer instances of missing wind layers with the RS92 GPS radiosondes.

As for temperature, both types of ra-diosondes agreed well with one another; however, the RS92 radiosondes report-ed cooler daytime temperatures in the stratosphere. This difference is probably the result of the RS92’s new temperature sensor, which is less affected by solar radiation.

One happy customer Overall, test results showed that the RS92 radiosondes met or exceeded the perfor-mance of the RS80 radiosondes presently being used. Consequently, the RS92 ra-diosondes were approved for operational use and will be gradually implemented into MSC’s upper air observing network, which comprises 31 stations.

Tom GurdebekeLife Cycle Manager, Upper Air Network

Meteorological Service of CanadaDownsview, ON, Canada

Putting the new Vaisala sonde to the test

Life Cycle Manager Tom Gurdebeke from the Meteorological Service of Canada testing Vaisala’s sondes.

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  17

The Praha-Libus aerological station is one of the World Meteorological Orga-nization’s ozone sounding stations. Verti-cal profiles of ozone have been measured there for over 25 years.

In May 2005, the Czech Hydromete-orological Institute (CHMI) carried out an ozone sounding trial at the Praha-Li-bus aerological station. The trial was de-signed to test the ozone sounding capa-bilities of the Loran-C and GPS Vaisala Radiosondes RS92, by comparing their ozone sounding performance with that of the Vaisala Radiosonde RS80.

Ozone soundings since 1977The Czech Republic’s first experimen-tal ozone sounding was carried out at the Praha-Libus station in 1977. Regular measurements of the ozone vertical pro-file commenced in 1978.

In 1992, the Praha-Libus aerologi-cal measurement equipment was com-pletely modernized together with Vai-sala. The intention now is to begin

ozone soundings with the latest Vaisala Radiosonde RS92.

Careful arrangementsThe trial at Praha-Libus consisted of two dual soundings with the RS80-18LE and RS92-KLE, and two single soundings with the RS92-SGP. The radiosondes were con-nected to ECC6A ozone sensors. The trial focused on system functionality, since only one type of ozone sensor was used. The Vaisala DigiCORA® Sounding System MW11 was used with the RS80, and the Vaisala DigiCORA® Sounding System MW21 with the RS92, providing an op-portunity to compare the performance of the two sounding systems.

One week before the ozone validation trial, the Praha-Libus station staff tested the ozone sensors in CHMI’s ozone sonde laboratory, according to the unified Stan-dard Operating Procedures. The calibra-tion of each radiosonde was checked in the field just before launch. For the dual soundings, a bamboo rig carrying the two ozone sondes was taken aloft by a 1200g TOTEX balloon, which provided free lift sufficient for 90 minutes of flight, to about 10 hPa. All the relevant data on ozone, pressure, temperature, humidity, wind and weather conditions was writ-ten in the ozone validation trial diary for further evaluation.

Analyzing the dataThe CHMI personnel monitored the ozone soundings and carried out analy-sis of the data. The ozone sounding data was evaluated in two steps: first, the RS80 and RS92 5-second edited ozone data was analyzed. Second, the total amount of ozone calculated using the sounding data was compared with an independent total ozone measurement.

The vertical profiles of ozone gener-ated by the RS80 and RS92 sondes look similar. Figure 1 presents the first dual ozone sounding of May 17th, and Figure 3 the second dual sounding of May 18th. Partial ozone pressure of both radio-sondes as a function of height is shown in Figures 1 and 3.

In a detailed comparison analysis, the time scale is more accurate than the height; therefore the differences are plot-ted on time scales (Figures 2 and 4). The difference between the RS80 and RS92 partial ozone pressure was within the in-terval <-0.9 / 1.0> mPa for the first dual sounding (Figure 2) and within the inter-val <-0.5 / 0.8> for the second dual sound-ing (Figure 4).

The RS92-SGP single ozone soundings were compared to the twin soundings

Pavla SkrivankovaHead of the Upper-Air and Surface Observation Department

Czech Hydrometeorological InstitutePrague, Czech Republic

Vaisala ozone sounding capabilities under tight scrutinyEnsuring the highest possible data quality in Prague.

The Praha-Libus ozone validation trial demonstrated the good performance of the Vaisala ozone sounding system.

Dual sounding at 14:01 UTC on May 17, 2005. From left: Mr. Cer-noch, Mrs. Benesova and Mrs. Skrivankova.

18  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

CHMI’s Praha-Libus sound-ing station, Czech Republic.

that were nearest in time. There is very good agreement between the RS92-SGP, RS80-18LE and RS92-KLE ozone data.

To ensure the reliability of the ozone data, it was compared with an indepen-dent ozone measurement - the total ozone observations made with a Brew-er spectrophotometer at the CHMI So-lar and Ozone Observatory in Hradec Kralove. A Correction Factor (the ratio of Brewer total ozone to ozone sonde to-tal ozone) was calculated in the interna-tionally accepted way, in order to quality-check the data of the ozone sonde. If the Correction Factor is not within the inter-val <0.9 / 1.1>, the Quality Control team flags the sounding for further checking. Table 1 shows that none of the Correction Factors exceeded the acceptable limits.

Vaisala ozone data is reliableThere were no significant differences in the ozone values measured with the RS80 and the RS92 ozone sondes. However, it

should be remembered that the reliabil-ity of the results obtained in the trial is proportional to the limited set of sound-ings made. By comparing the ozone data generated by the RS92 ozone soundings with the total ozone from a quasi-si-multaneous spectrophotometrical mea-surement, it was possible to confirm that the RS92 ozone data was reliable. All the Correction Factors calculated for the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92 during the ozone validation trial at Praha-Libus were acceptable.

The CHMI puts great emphasis on en-suring the highest possible ozone data quality and homogeneity of the ozone time series. The Praha-Libus ozone vali-dation trial demonstrated the good per-formance of the RS92 ozone sounding system. The CHMI does not expect the RS80-to-RS92 ozone sounding transition to significantly affect the consistency of upper-air ozone measurement at Praha-Libus station.

Ozone sonde versus spectrophotometer total ozone

Start [UTC] SONDE BREWER CF

Mon 16th

8:36 RS92-SGP - single 369.08 353.00 0.96

Tue 17th

8:25 RS92-SGP - single 383.47 373.00 0.97

14:23 RS92-KLE 394.65372.00

0.94

RS80-18LE 395.70 0.94

Wed 18th

11:12 RS92-KLE 383.98377.60

0.98

RS80-18LE 387.20 0.98

Table 1. Correction factors (CF = BREWER total ozone / SONDE total ozone) used as quality control tool.

Figure 1. Comparison of RS80 and RS92 ozone vertical profiles (dual sounding 17.5.2005).

Figure 2. RS80/RS92 ozone partial pressure differences (dual sounding 17.5.2005).

Figure 3. Comparison of RS80 and RS92 ozone vertical profiles (dual sounding 18.5.2005).

Figure 4. RS80/RS92 ozone partial pressure differences (dual sounding 18.5.2005).

02

46

810

1214

1618

Heig

ht [g

pm

]O

zon

e Partial P

ressure [m

Pa]

DCI (RS80) DCIII (RS92)

-1-0,5

00,5

1

Tim

e [s]O

zon

e Partial P

ressure d

ifferences [m

Pa]

02

46

810

1214

1618

Heig

ht [g

pm

]O

zon

e Partial P

ressure [m

Pa]

DC I (RS80) DC III (RS92)

-1-0,5

00,5

1

Tim

e [s]O

zon

e Partial P

ressure d

ifferences [m

Pa]

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  19

The Canadian Armed Forces have chosen the latest Vaisala sounding system, which makes the receiving, processing and forwarding of meteorological information easy and secure.

In March 2005, representatives of the Ca-nadian Armed Forces (CAF) took delivery of a fleet of Vaisala DigiCORA® Sounding Systems MW31 at the Vaisala factory in Helsinki. The procurement also included software and outboard devices such as ground check sets, antennae and paper tape readers. Test flights of GPS, LORAN, and Radio Direction Finding sondes were conducted with the new equipment with perfect success. The new processors will be installed in vehicles, ships, and fixed weather stations.

The system enables the CAF to adopt the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92, which of-fers excellent rejection of radar interfer-ence, narrow band telemetry, improved humidity sensing and resistance to icing

conditions. The Vaisala Ground Check Set GC25 enables the user to confirm the functionality of the radiosondes prior to launch and minimize the chances of a lost sounding.

Contributing to national meteorological servicesThe CAF has a good long-term work-ing relationship with Vaisala. Through its equipment, Vaisala contributes to the many operational requirements of the CAF.

The CAF works closely with Environ-ment Canada which uses Vaisala equip-ment in their synoptic observing network. The CAF runs numerous synoptic sound-ing stations located at their bases.

Roger PerreaultLife Cycle Material Manager

Captain Charles FrostElectro Optics Equipment Manager

Department of National DefenseOttawa, ON, Canada

Observing weather in the upper atmosphereCanadian Armed Forces procure Vaisala Sounding Systems

Charles Frost, Jorma Kosonen and Roger Perreault checking equipment docu-mentation at the Vaisala factory.(Photo courtesy of Corporal Gordon Mead)

20  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

Brazil has one of the highest incidents of atmospheric elec-trical discharges in the world, resulting in millions of dollars of damage every year.

In an effort to better monitor and report lightning activity and provide data to scientists for solution development, sev-eral organizations have joined together to form the Integrated System of Atmo-spheric Discharge Detection and Criti-cal Meteorological Events, better known as the SIDDEM project. The project in-corporates several electrical companies and research institutions in the southern parts of Brazil. It is being carried out with sixteen Vaisala lightning sensors that monitor cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-cloud lightning discharges.

The results of the joint research - exe-cuted in the states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul

- have provided an important contribu-tion to the understanding of atmospheric phenomena that have a major effect on the operation of electric power compa-nies. It has also provided data for meteo-rological centers and, consequently, for the use of civil defense, agriculture and air navigation.

Mr. Laércio de Serqueira from FINEP (Brazilian Research and Projects Financ-ing institution) welcomes the SIDDEM cooperation. It adds significant value to the community, and reinforces the actions of CT-ENERG (Power Division Fund) within the goals set forth by the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Tech-nology, MCT.

Integration over territorial boundariesThe SIDDEM project is an important step towards the integration of a larger Bra-zilian network of atmospheric electrical discharge detection.

The system has proven to be a great asset for the team of weather forecast meteorologists who are using the thun-derstorm monitoring capabilities and at-mospheric electrical discharge data pro-vided in four of the southernmost states of Brazil.

SIDDEM may be extended to the Mercosur countries - a trading zone be-tween Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Ven-ezuela and Paraguay - in the future. Re-cent studies show that the regions of the Rio Prata Basin and Chaco Paraguay are some of the planet’s most severe storm formation sites.

Gilson FeitosaHOBECO Ltda Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

Ed BardoProduct Manager

Vaisala Tucson, AZ, USA

Studying severe storms in southern Brazil

The SIDDEM project is being carried out in the states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul. (Map courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps, used with permission.)

Amazonas

Acre

Pará

Romaima

Amaná

MatoGrosso

TocantinsRondônia

Maranhão Ceará

Piauí

Bahia

RioGrandedo Sul

Santa Catarina

Paraná

MinasGeraisMato

Grossodo Sul São

PauloRio de Janeiro

Espírito Santo

Distrito Federal

goiás

Rio Grandedo NordeParaíba

pernambucoAlagoas

Sergipe

Each installation site was chosen using the following criteria:– Setting the maximum distance

between sensors– Evaluation of the region’s

topography- Evaluation of the pre-existing

infrastructure of the site- Identifying the Point of

Presence (POP) of consortium companies

- Finding sites with no noise in the operational range of the sensors

- Highlighting the requirements listed in Vaisala manuals concerning obstacles close to the sensors.

The immediate goals of the project are to:– Map the areas with the

highest incidence of lightning discharges

– Establish new parameters for transmission line projects

– Anticipate decision-making for operation and maintenance

– Provide data for the issue of technical reports, as well as a more accurate appraisal of intensity and forecast of storms in the states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul.

SIDDEM project contributors:AES-Sul, CEEE, CELESC, CT-ENERG, ELETROSUL, ENERSUL, EPAGRI/CLIMERH, Federal University of Santa Catarina, FINEP, HOBECO, INPE, LACTEC, MCT, RGE, TRACTEBEL, Vaisala

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  21

Vaisala News 167 reported the launch of the Helsinki four-season mesoscale Testbed. Find out what has been happening since then.

The Helsinki Testbed, launched in early 2005, is a joint effort between the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and Vai-sala. It consists of a particularly dense and versatile weather observation network, located in the Greater Helsinki area.

The Helsinki Testbed produces data for research on small scale weather phe-nomena, and contributes to the develop-ment of new mesoscale weather services, providing information on local weather events.

The first measurement campaign was carried out in conjunction with the World Championships in Athletics, held in Helsinki in August 2005. The focus was on gathering data for short-term weather forecasts. The November 2005 measure-

ment campaign focused on different precipitation types. Rain, drizzle, snow and sleet were measured at 350 measure-ment points with different methods and equipment. The third campaign kicks off in January 2006 and focuses on the sta-ble boundary layer. Two more confirmed campaigns remain after this - one on sea breeze in May 2006, and the other on con-vection in August 2006.

Urban Modeling WorkshopEnhanced three-dimensional mesoscale observing networks are critical to ad-vancing numerical and empirical mod-eling for a broad spectrum of mesoscale applications, including severe weather warnings and forecasts, hydrology, air quality forecasting, chemical emergency response, transportation safety, and en-ergy management. Today’s mostly two-dimensional mesoscale measurement networks do not provide observations of the type, frequency, and density required to optimize mesoscale prediction and

nowcasts. Mesoscale testbeds are wide-ly recommended as the critical bridge needed to transition from research to operations.

To address these issues, Vaisala and the FMI convened an Urban Modeling

Workshop in June 2005. The workshop brought together an international work-ing group of scientists, interested in the observation and simulation of urban boundary layers to explore the ways in which urban modelers could make maxi-mum use of the unique urban meteoro-logical data sets compiled from the Hel-sinki Testbed.

There was consensus among the par-ticipants that the Helsinki Testbed is an invaluable resource that offers modelers and observationalists a unique opportu-

Helsinki Testbed produces data for research on small scale weather phenomena

Elena SaltikoffApplication Specialist

VaisalaHelsinki, Finland

Walt Dabberdt Director, Strategic Research

VaisalaBoulder, CO, USA

Helsinki Testbed up and running

22  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

nity to tackle the challenges of modeling a wide variety of atmospheric process-es. It was also felt to address the needs of a broad range of practical and soci-etally important applications, such as forecasting high-impact weather events, predicting air quality, managing emer-gency-response incidents, optimizing weather-sensitive transport operations, and increasing the efficiency of energy production and consumption patterns.

Wet World Championships in Athletics The first measurement campaign of the Helsinki Testbed project was timed to coincide with the 10th World Champi-onships in Athletics, held in Helsinki in August. Several additional weather ob-servation sites had been installed, for example along the marathon route and at the Olympic Stadium, in cooperation with the Finnish Athletics federation and the City of Helsinki.

Unluckily for the athletes and specta-tors, the skies opened up and gave us one shower after another with an intensity we will never forget. According to the Testbed measurement data, it rained a total of 38 mm, or 1.5 million liters, inside the Olympic Stadium during the day and evening events.

Two-thirds of the total rainfall oc-curred on the evening of Tuesday August 9th, when 26.2 mm of water accumulated on the Olympic Stadium between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Due to the storm, the games had to be discontinued for some time. Most of the precipitation occurred dur-ing two intensive 20-minute downpours. The intensity of one of them was 89 mm

per hour. 500 lightning bolts were detect-ed in Helsinki and the surrounding areas during thunderstorms on the same day. Two other rainy days were the opening on Saturday August 6th (rainfall 3.2 mm), and Wednesday August 10th (rainfall 7.2 mm). Similar brief heavy rains occur in Finland only once every ten years on average.

Studying different precipitation typesIronically, after the torrential rain show-ers during the first measurement cam-paign, the second campaign started in November with a focus on different pre-cipitation types.

The type of precipitation is often self-evident: in freezing temperatures it is snow, during the summer it is water. However, when the temperature is close to 0 °C, precipitation can take different forms even within short distances: for instance, it can be snowing in one part of Helsinki while it is raining in another. Precipitation type depends on the tem-perature in the upper atmosphere, as well as on the temperature and humidity close to the ground. This is why it can snow in dry weather even in +4 °C. Supercooled liquid precipitation can occur in freezing temperatures if the upper atmospheric layers produce such conditions.

In November, the temperature in the Greater Helsinki area is often close to 0

°C, and precipitation falls as rain or snow, or a mixture of both. The relatively great differences in temperature at sea and in inland areas cause significant differences in the type of precipitation that occurs in different areas within Greater Helsinki.

Rain in freezing temperatures is par-ticularly troublesome for road traffic and aviation, as the water quickly freezes when it hits a cold surface, such as a high-way. The icing of aircraft wings alters the plane’s flight capacity, so it is important that deicing is carried out before takeoff. In addition to aviation authorities, pre-cipitation information is important to au-thorities in charge of road and property maintenance, as they make decisions on snow plowing and road salting.

The November campaign of the Hel-sinki Testbed, which managed to catch the November 30th snowstorm pictured above, uses different methods for mea-suring precipitation types. Temperature and humidity are measured with a dense observation network. In locations where there is no measurement equipment, the temperature is estimated based on the environment and the measurements taken at stations nearby. A radar-acous-tic sounding system located at Helsinki’s Malmi airport, coupled with more-fre-quent-than-average soundings, produces information on temperatures in the up-per layers of the atmosphere. The prop-erties of snow flakes and raindrops are measured by a weather radar particularly developed for this purpose.

Interested in joining the project?The Helsinki Testbed is an open program where collaborators are encouraged to participate. To find out more about the Helsinki Testbed project and campaigns, please visit the project homepage at testbed.fmi.fi

During the campaigns, anyone can observe the weather in the Greater Helsinki area on the project website testbed.fmi.fi.

Sample displays of precipitation and temperature (left) windspeed in m/s at mast tops (center) and wind direction (right) of the Nov 30 snowstorm which cut electricity from 30 000 households and caused serious traffic problems.

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  23

Vaisala actively participates in many international scientific research projects. COST is one of them.

Research and development activities are a key prerequisite for Vaisala’s suc-cess. In addition to its own internal re-search activities, Vaisala takes part in many forms of international scientific research and cooperation. These activi-ties foster the development of the science in which Vaisala participates. We bring our global experience with atmospheric measurements to bear on the issues cov-ered by numerous committees, and help to inject business world realities into discussions.

Active participation in many fieldsVaisala participates in several projects together with leading research organiza-tions, such as NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA), NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA) and VTT (Technical Re-search Centre of Finland).

In Vaisala News 164 and 167, we intro-duced The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment, better known as the global THORPEX pro-gram, in which Vaisala has an active role. Launched in 2003, THORPEX is a 10-year research program that aims to study and improve the effectiveness of both earth-based and space-based atmospheric ob-servation systems.

The Professor Vilho Väisälä Award - established in 1985 in the memory of the esteemed inventor, founder, and long-standing Managing Director of Vaisala - is administrated by the World Meteorologi-cal Organization (WMO). It is awarded to encourage research in the field of meteo-rological and climatic observation.

Vaisala has also established coopera-tion with universities in the USA and Fin-land. Local Finnish development projects with the Technical Research Centre of Finland and the Helsinki University of

George FrederickStrategic Development Manager, Wind Profilers

Vaisala Georgetown, TX, USACOST - effective

scientific cooperation

UK Met Office’s microwave radiom-eter and MeteoSwiss’ wind profiling Doppler radar. These were operated together at Payerne during the COST 720 Temperature hUmiditity and Cloud (TUC) campaign in winter 2003/04.

24  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

Technology date back many years, and continue strong today.

Interest in remote sensingVaisala is committed to serving the ob-servation needs of professional meteorol-ogists. We constantly study and evaluate promising measurement technologies and system concepts which could be beneficial in their work. Close coopera-tion with the leading professionals in the field benefits us all, as the meteorological community can give us guidance on how we should develop our offering to ensure they have the best tools to work with.

Remote sensing is a promising field of technologies which will form a growing part of meteorological observing systems. Ground-based remote sensing instru-ments can be built in a variety of ways, based on radio frequency signal analy-sis, optics, or acoustics, for example. The optimal selection of measurement meth-ods depends on the application, and is made even more complex because the technology is still somewhat immature and developing.

Vaisala has evaluated and experiment-ed with these technologies, and wants to find cooperation opportunities to identi-fy and test which technical solutions offer most benefit for which applications.

COST and COST 720Founded in 1971, COST is the intergov-ernmental framework for European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research. One of the scientific projects currently supported by Vaisala is called COST 720 - Integrated ground-based remote sensing stations for atmo-spheric profiling - which is one of the Ac-tions under the COST umbrella.

As the name indicates, the main ob-jective of COST 720 is the development of integrated and cost-effective ground-based remote sensing stations for atmo-spheric profiling. The group, consisting of participants from 12 European coun-tries, also seeks to assess the use of these stations for meteorological analysis and forecast, as well as for climate research and climate monitoring.

COST 720 is divided into three Work-ing Groups, each concentrating on a par-ticular issue: Basic techniques and inte-gration, Algorithms, and Impact Studies and Quality Assessment.

Where is COST 720 today?Several field studies have been con-ducted within the COST 720 framework.

TUC (Temperature, hUmidity, and Cloud profiling experiment) was conducted in Switzerland; LAUNCH (International Lindenberg campaign for Assessment of hUmidity and Cloud profiling systems and its impact on High-resolution mod-eling) in Germany; and CSIP (Convective Storm Initiation Project) in the UK.

As the COST 720 action is concluding, the Helsinki Testbed with considerable Vaisala contribution continues the field study activities. Analysis of the results of these field studies is underway, and will be combined with related published re-sults in the scientific media to formulate a final report.

Plans are in place to host a workshop in Toulouse, France, in mid-May 2006, to present the results of the COST 720 ac-tion and invite other related presenta-tions from outside the COST community. The final report will be in draft format at the time of the workshop and will be completed afterward, incorporating rel-evant points that are raised during the workshop. The report will be available to the public in late 2006.

The benefits of improved remote sensing techniquesAtmospheric numerical model-ing at increasingly finer scales re-quires high-quality measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution. Ground-based remote sensing techniques are best suited to complement existing measure-ment techniques.

Further improvement and inte-gration of the various existing re-mote sensing techniques can bring numerous benefits, including: - increased airport safety- better description of the

vertical atmospheric structure- better description of the

time evolution of the vertical atmospheric structure

- standardization and quality control of methods for measuring wind, temperature and humidity profiles

- improved co-operation between European institutions and feedback to industry

- enhanced European competitiveness in science and technology

Sources: www.cost.esf.org/index.php www.cost720.rl.ac.uk/

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  25

Retiring from a challenging and stimulating career does not necessarily mean you want to give up work altogether.

George Frederick and Gary Zeigler from Vaisala’s wind profiling operations in Boulder, CO have much to look forward to: some well-deserved leisure time with friends and family, and their favorite sport - golf. Fortunately, both retiring gents will stay on with Vaisala as consul-tants, so their vast career experience will continue to benefit us all.

We asked George and Gary about their thoughts on the past, present and future

– while wishing them sunny days and suc-cess as they pursue the little white ball up the fairways and across the greens.

What was your background before joining Vaisala?

- George: I spent 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as a meteorologist, doing every-thing from aviation forecasting to strate-gic planning to senior management. The Air Force sent me to UCLA and the Uni-

versity of Wisconsin for graduate studies in meteorology. Upon retirement from the Air Force in 1993, I started a second career with Radian Corp. of Austin Texas where I became involved in promoting the use of wind profilers for a variety of applications. Since 2001, when the wind profiling group was purchased by Vaisala, I have served as a Business Unit Manager in Boulder.

- Gary: George and I were contempo-raries in the U.S. Air Force and gained a sense of humor and perspective together as we worked with weather support chal-lenges. I did my graduate studies in mete-orology at the University of Washington and retired from the Air Force in 1990. I moved to Austin and Radian Corp. soon thereafter and became the Operations Manager for wind profiler development and production. As part of Vaisala, I have continued to help coordinate wind pro-

Marikka MetsoEditor-in-Chief

VaisalaHelsinki, Finland

From wind profiling to chasing a golf ball

26  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

filer operations and have managed cus-tomer projects.

How has the wind profiling business changed over the years?

- George: The product has matured from a research instrument, produced in the NOAA labs, to a commercial product.

How would you say the customers have changed?

- Gary: They are more knowledgeable and diverse. In the early years they were most-ly air quality practitioners who needed to learn what wind profiling was and how it could help them do their job. Now the customer base has expanded greatly, and the growing use of the Internet means that customers have access to a lot of in-formation about the available technology before they contact us.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from your work?

- George: Most people I have encountered over the years in the civilian work force are self-motivated and strive to do their very best. Our role as managers is to pro-vide leadership, by giving them the cor-rect priorities and the tools and time to accomplish the work.

- Gary: Attitude is everything. Positive thinking yields positive results. Whenev-er I start to use the word “problem”, I try

to say “opportunity” instead. Sometimes we have “overwhelming opportunities” but then surprise ourselves at how well we handle them if we plan for success, instead of resigning ourselves to failure.

What are your plans for the future?

- George: My wife and I plan to spend more time with our grandchildren (and their parents), while reserving some time to consult with Vaisala on strategic devel-opment over the coming years.

- Gary: My wife and I are also looking forward to spending more time with the family, and I will enjoy consulting for Vai-sala if wind profiler project support op-portunities continue to come my way.

What do you do in your free time? What is your passion?

- George: I love golf and will live in a re-tirement community in Texas with two courses only minutes away. I also dab-ble in model railroading, picture framing, and woodworking. I do not think I will run out of things to do in my leisure time, and if I do, my wife will always have some good suggestions!

- Gary: My passion is also golf. And my wife also has a list of travel and home projects that should help keep me very active.

Attitude is everything. Positive thinking yields positive results.

Wind profiling is an important activity in meteorological and climatological research, aviation, air quality monitoring and research, and land resource management.

Gary Zeigler and George Frederick finally have more time for their favorite sport -golf.

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  27

In Vaisala News 168, we reported on Vaisala research regarding lightning that occurs in the eyewall of a hurricane, and its connection to hurricane intensity. Here is a brief update on the latest developments.

According to NOAA, hurricanes de-stroyed approximately $73 billion in property, and were responsible for more than 13,000 deaths in the 20th century.

Furthermore, we can predict from cur-rent hurricane climatology and other data that destructive major hurricanes will continue to occur over the next two decades.

In an effort to protect lives and prop-erty, scientists have been trying to find methods to better forecast hurricanes. Vaisala thunderstorm experts in the U.S., specialized in lightning detection, have been actively involved in this research. For a couple of years now, Vaisala has been studying the lightning that occurs in the eyewall of a hurricane and its

connection to hurricane intensity. The study combines lightning data gathered through Vaisala’s U.S.-wide lightning de-tection network with the National Hur-ricane Center’s hurricane data.

The research shows that lightning out-breaks in the eyewalls of hurricanes often occur during rapid changes in hurricane intensity. As the primary eyewall con-tracts and the storm rapidly intensifies, eyewall flash rates have often increased dramatically. Vaisala’s U.S.-wide lightning detection network enables lightning de-tection and analysis in real-time, and can therefore potentially be used in helping to predict hurricane intensity.

Collaboration with the National Hurricane CenterVaisala’s lightning data program has been further developed to correlate with the National Hurricane Center’s hurricane data. Forecasters now benefit from com-bined hurricane and lightning data, and this has been used in connection with the Katrina and Rita hurricanes.

Vaisala and NOAA, under which the National Hurricane Center operates, have been working in collaboration for several years. For example, Vaisala’s drop-sondes are frequently used in hurricane research and forecasting.

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CG Lightning Flashes Central Pressure

Nicholas W.S. DemetriadesManager, Applications & Technology

VaisalaTucson, AZ, USA

Update on hurricane research and forecasting

28  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

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Upper-air measurement performance like never before

In Vaisala News 168 we reported on some preliminary results from the Mauritius WMO Radiosonde Intercomparison, con-ducted at the Vacoas Meteorological Services headquarters in February 2005. This is a summary of the confirmed results of the Vaisala system’s performance.

The intercomparison of high-quality radiosonde systems provided an extensive data set for comparing the performance of the latest radiosondes and ground systems introduced to the global market. The warm and humid conditions of Mauri-tius posed an excellent performance challenge for the various radiosondes and ground systems tested.

The combination of the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92 and the Vaisala DigiCORA® Sounding System MW31 per-formed at a very high level in every area of the Mauritius intercomparison.

TemperatureTemperature measurement as performed by the Vaisala Ra-diosonde RS92 is highly accurate during both daytime and night-time conditions. Furthermore, the Vaisala F-THERMO-CAP® temperature sensor is capable of measuring tempera-ture correctly from the moment it emerges from cloud in po-tential wet bulb conditions.

HumidityThe Vaisala humidity sensor tested in Mauritius incorporated Vaisala’s latest humidity sensing technology improvements, and it performed better than the humidity sensors incorpo-rated in older Vaisala radiosonde models.

Geopotential height The Vaisala Radiosonde RS92’s silicon micromachined pres-sure sensor is capable of providing accurate geopotential height measurements. The average difference compared to GPS geopotential height calculation was 20 m at 20 km altitude.

WindThe Vaisala sounding system GPS windfinding algorithms produce highly accurate wind profiles even at a very detailed level, taking the radiosonde pendulum effect into account.

TelemetryThe Vaisala Radiosonde RS92’s fully digital telemetry link, spe-cifically designed for radiosounding applications, eliminates the noise that has been endemic to analog data transmission. The result is highly reliable data transmission which relays the pure in-situ measurements made by the radiosonde.

General reliability and usabilityThe system’s general reliability and usability were also evident in the Mauritius intercomparison. Based on this intercom-parison and a host of field acceptance tests worldwide, it can be stated that the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92 offers the high-est level of upper-air measurement performance in Vaisala’s 70-year history.

A Vaisala White Paper is available with more detailed in-formation. Please contact metsaleshel@vaisala.com for your copy of “Performance of the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92-SGP and Vaisala DigiCORA® Sounding System MW31 in the WMO Mauritius Radiosonde Intercomparison, February 2005”.

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  29

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Vaisala has signed a contract with the Estonian Meteorologi-cal and Hydrological Institute (EMHI) to update Estonia’s hy-drological monitoring network. The turn-key project includes the delivery and installation of hydrological measurement and information systems, as well as training and a one year service contract to maintain the stations and main centers.

Vaisala has recently delivered a countrywide surface weather observation network to the EMHI. The network com-prises 23 automatic weather stations and an automatic data collection system. The new hydrological network comprises 23 Vaisala observation systems that measure hydrological parameters such as precipitation, water level, water quality, and water temperature.

Both the hydrological and meteorological networks will use the same data collection system from Vaisala, which will simplify the operation of the networks considerably. Vaisala network software will be used to collect data from the net-work. Vaisala is partnering with Kisters AG from Germany in this project, and they will deliver the database management system.

Hydrological networks are used to monitor and manage water quality and resources in streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and harbors. They also provide forecasting and warning ser-vices. Water is the most precious resource in the world, and an element that can cause considerable destruction. Moni-toring water resources contributes to sustainable develop-ment, helps to protect life and property, and safeguards the environment.

Vaisala updates Estonia’s hydrological network

The 5th Annual Meeting of the European Meteorological So-ciety (EMS) was held at the Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs Exhibition & Convention Centre in Utrecht, the Netherlands, September 12 - 16, 2005. The 7th European Conference on Applications of Meteorology was held as part and partner.

Showcased Vaisala products included the Vaisala All Weather Precipitation Gauge VRG110, the Vaisala Weather Transmitter WXT510, the Vaisala LAP3000 Lower Atmosphere Profiler Radar, and thunderstorm systems. Vaisala Workshop introduced e.g. Hybrid Lightning Detection Networks, the Helsinki Testbed, the Mauritius WMO Radiosonde Intercom-parison results, and the VRG110.

Martin Murphy from Vaisala Tucson office presented his and Nick Demetriades’ paper on “The role of total lightning in thunderstorm nowcasting”. EMS 2005 included over 250 lectures and 150 posters.

The EMS 2006 meeting will be held September 3-7, 2006, in Ljubljana, Slovenia in the Cankarjev Dom Conference Centre.

Further information:www.emetsoc.org/EMS6/

Vaisala at EMS/ECAM 2005

30  |  Vaisala News  170 / 2006

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Vaisala HydroMet™ System MAWS301 weather station in Livramento, Brazil.

Vaisala has won an international tender organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for the supply of 145 Vaisala HydroMet™ System MAWS301 weather stations to Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) in Brazil. De-livery will take place in 2005. The tender includes an option for additional systems to be delivered in 2006.

In 1998, Vaisala started a cooperation project together with INMET and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). The project is called the Surface Observation Network Automa-tion project in Brazil (SONABRA), and it is one of the key ele-ments in INMET’s overall modernization program. The first test systems were delivered in 2000, and there are already 80 MAWS301 systems operating in INMET’s synoptic network.

HOBECO Ltda, Vaisala’s distributors in Brazil, have played a significant role in the cooperation with INMET. HOBECO has provided local technical support, installation assistance and training during the SONABRA project.

Vaisala weather stations win big in Brazil

Marikka MetsoEditor-in-Chief

Thank you for your intrest.

For subscriptions, cancellations, feedback and changes of address, please contact the Vaisala News team by sending an email tovaisala.news@vaisala.com

Contact the Vaisala News team

170 / 2006  Vaisala News  |  31

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Europe

Vaisala Oyj P.O. Box 26, FI-00421 Helsinki FINLAND Telephone: +358 9 894 91 Telefax: +358 9 8949 2227

Vaisala Oyj Malmö Office Drottninggatan 1 D S - 212 11 Malmö SWEDEN Telephone: +46 40 298 991, in Sweden: 0200 848 848 Telefax.: +46 40 298 992, in Sweden: 0200 849 849

Vaisala GmbHHamburg Office Schnackenburgallee 41D-22525 HamburgGERMANYTelephone: +49 40 839 030 Telefax: +49 40 839 03 110

Vaisala GmbHBonn OfficeAdenauerallee 15D-53111 Bonn GERMANY Telephone: +49 228 24 9710Telefax: +49 228 249 7111

Vaisala GmbHStuttgart Office Pestalozzi Str. 8 D-70563 Stuttgart GERMANY Telephone: +49 711 734 057 Telefax: +49 711 735 6340

Vaisala LtdBirmingham Operations Vaisala House 349 Bristol Road Birmingham B5 7SW UNITED KINGDOM Telephone: +44 121 683 1200 Telefax: +44 121 683 1299

Vaisala LtdNewmarket OfficeUnit 9, Swan LaneExningNewmarketSuffolk CB8 7FNUNITED KINGDOMTelephone: +44 1638 576 200Telefax: +44 1638 576 240

Vaisala SASParis Office 2, rue Stéphenson (escalier 2bis) F-78181 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Cedex FRANCE Telephone: +33 1 3057 2728 Telefax: +33 1 3096 0858

North America

Vaisala Inc. Boston Office 10-D Gill StreetWoburn, MA 01801 USA Telephone: +1 781 933 4500 Telefax: +1 781 933 8029

Vaisala Inc. Columbus Office1372 Oxley RoadColumbus, Ohio 43212 USA

Vaisala Inc. Boulder Operations194 South Taylor AvenueLouisville, CO 80027USATelephone: +1 303 499 1701 Fax: +1 303 499 1767

Vaisala Inc.San Jose Office6980 Santa Teresa BlvdSuite 203San Jose, CA 95119-1393USATelephone: +1 408 578 3670Telefax: +1 408 578 3672

Vaisala Inc.Tucson Operations 2705 East Medina Road Tucson, Arizona 85706, USATelephone: +1 520 806 7300Telefax: +1 520 741 2848U.S. Toll Free 1 800 283 4557

Vaisala Inc.Houston Office1120 Nasa Road 1 Suite 220-EHouston, TX 77058USATelephone: +1 281 335 9955Telefax: +1 281-335-9956

Vaisala Inc.Minneapolis Operations6300 34th Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN 55450USATelephone: +1 612 727 1084Telefax: +1 612 727 3895

Vaisala Inc. Regional Office Canada37 De TarasconBlainvilleQC J7B 6B7CANADATelephone: +1 450 430 0880Telefax: +1 450 430 6410

Asia and Pacific

Vaisala KKTokyo Office 42 Kagurazaka 6-Chome Shinjuku-Ku Tokyo 162-0825 JAPAN Telephone: +81 3 3266 9611 Telefax: +81 3 3266 9610

Vaisala Pty LtdMelbourne Office 3 Guest Street Hawthorn, VIC 3122 AUSTRALIA Telephone: +61 3 9818 4200 Telefax: +61 3 9818 4522

Vaisala China Ltd.Beijing OfficeFloor 2, EAS BuildingNo. 21, Xiao Yun Road Dongsanhuan Beilu Chaoyang DistrictBeijing 100027People’s Republic of ChinaTelephone: +86 10 8526 1199Telefax: +86 10 8526 1155

Vaisala Shanghai contact addressc/o KaukomarkkinatRoom 402A West Tower, Sun Plaza88 Xian Xia RoadShanghai 200336, People’s Republic of China Telephone: +86 21 62700642/41Telefax:+86 21 62700640

Vaisala Guangzhou contact address Room 1116, Main Tower, GITIC Plaza339 Huanshi Dong RoadGuangzhou 510098 People’s Republic of ChinaTel: 0086-20-83311106 Fax: 0086-20-83315229

Vaisala Regional Office MalaysiaLevel 36, Menara Citibank 165 Jalan Ampang 50450 Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIATelephone: +60 3 2169 7776 Telefax: +60 3 2169 7775