Assorted Observation Assorted Observation SystemsSystems
Meteorology 415Meteorology 415
Fall 2011Fall 2011
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Surface Surface • Automated Surface Automated Surface
Observing System Observing System (ASOS)(ASOS)
- Temp, Moisture, - Temp, Moisture, Pressure, Wind, Pressure, Wind, Solar Radiation, Solar Radiation, Cloud Height, Cloud Height, Precipitation, Precipitation, VisibilityVisibility
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Network of Surface Network of Surface Hourly Observations:Hourly Observations:
- FAA (1,000)- FAA (1,000)
- FHWA (100’s)- FHWA (100’s)
- USDA (100’s)- USDA (100’s)
- DOD- DOD (100’s)(100’s)
- USFS- USFS (100’s)(100’s)
- EPA- EPA (100’s)(100’s)
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Network of Mesoscale Network of Mesoscale
Observations:Observations:
- State DOT (1000)- State DOT (1000)
- AG Nets (1000)- AG Nets (1000)
- Private (AWS) (7000)- Private (AWS) (7000)
- Utilities (100’s)- Utilities (100’s)
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Cooperative Cooperative
Climate Climate NetworkNetwork
(10,000)(10,000)- daily precipdaily precip- most snowmost snow- some tempsome temp- few river few river
gaugesgauges
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Cooperative Cooperative
Climate Climate NetworkNetwork
Backbone of Backbone of the nation’s the nation’s climate climate recordsrecords
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere Historical Historical
Climate Climate NetworkNetwork
(1,000 (1,000 subset)subset)
- Basis of US Basis of US Climate Climate TrendsTrends
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Radiosonde Radiosonde
Network (100)Network (100)
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Atmospheric Atmospheric
SoundingSounding• Twice a dayTwice a day• TemperatureTemperature• DewpointDewpoint• WindsWinds- Area equal to Area equal to
energyenergy
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Profiler Network Profiler Network
(dozens)(dozens)
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Profiler Cross-Profiler Cross-
SectionSection• Every 6 minutesEvery 6 minutes• WindsWinds• Density (T,M)Density (T,M)
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Suomi-Net (100)Suomi-Net (100)
Real-Time Integrated Real-Time Integrated Water Content of the Water Content of the Atmosphere based Atmosphere based on GPS attenuationon GPS attenuation
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Vertical ProfileVertical Profile• Suomi-NetSuomi-Net
A time series of A time series of precipitable water precipitable water vapor vapor
Related to surface Related to surface flux of out-going long flux of out-going long wave radiationwave radiation
Used as a calibration Used as a calibration for other estimates of for other estimates of water contentwater content
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Cross-SectionsCross-Sections• ACARS – Aircraft ACARS – Aircraft
Communications Communications Addressing and Addressing and Reporting SystemReporting System
(4,000 daily)(4,000 daily)
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Cross-SectionsCross-Sections• ACARSACARS
Winds and Winds and Temperatures along Temperatures along the flight paththe flight path
Important reports of Important reports of Turbulence, both in Turbulence, both in cloud and clear aircloud and clear air
Probing the AtmosphereProbing the Atmosphere
Horizontal – surface observing Horizontal – surface observing systems; hourly, dailysystems; hourly, daily
Vertical – weather balloons, Doppler Vertical – weather balloons, Doppler radar, GPS radar, GPS
Cross-Section – Aircraft sensorsCross-Section – Aircraft sensors
ReferencesReferences
http://acweb.fsl.noaa.gov/ruc_acars/http://acweb.fsl.noaa.gov/ruc_acars/ http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/ http://www.weather.gov/om/coop/http://www.weather.gov/om/coop/ http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/http://www.ua.nws.noaa.gov/
nws_upper.htmnws_upper.htm http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/
html/mesonet/meso_mtn.pdfhtml/mesonet/meso_mtn.pdf
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