Automatic Weather Station

Automatic weather stations are used for measuring of meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure).

Citation proposal
(2011) . Automatic Weather Station. https://geoportal.mountaingenius.org/geonetwork/srv/api/records/e98b6682-27be-4c35-b919-d5c991e93929

Simple

Alternate title: AWS

Date ( Publication ): 2011-03-30T17:51:00

Purpose

Automatic weather stations are used for increasing the number and reliability of surface observations.

They achieve this by:

(a) Increasing the density of an existing network by providing data from new sites and from sites that are difficult to access and inhospitable;

(b) Supplying, for manned stations, data outside the normal working hours;

(c) Increasing the reliability of measurements by using sophisticated technology and modern, digital measurement techniques;

(d) Ensuring the homogeneity of networks by standardizing the measuring techniques;

(e) Satisfying new observational needs and

requirements;

(f) Reducing human errors;

(g) Lowering operational costs by reducing the number of observers;

(h) Measuring and reporting with high frequency or continuously.

From 2009 the AWS was inserted in the CEOP network in the frame of the GEWEX project.

The AWS is managed by UNIMI and EvK2CNR

Status: On going

Point of contact

Ev-K2-CNR

Via San Bernardino 145 Bergamo BG 24126 Italy

+39 035 3230511

+39 035 3230551

Website: http://www.evk2cnr.org/

Maintenance and update frequency: As needed

GEMET ( Theme )

thermal power plant

Keywords

SHARE , Network , Station , High Altitude

Keywords

CEOP

Keywords ( Theme )

glacier , cryosphere , micro-meteorological parameters , climate , natural areas , ecosystems , landscape , research

Keywords ( Place )

Forni Glacier , Italy , Stelvio National Park , Alps , Ortles-Cevedale group

Use limitation: No conditions apply

Access constraints: Copyright

Other constraints

Character set: UTF8

Topic category

Climatology, meteorology, atmosphere
Environment
Geoscientific information

Supplemental Information

Reference system identifier: EPSG / WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) / 7.4

Topology level: Geometry only

Geometric object type: Point

Geometric object count: 13

OnLine resource: SHARE Geonetwork portal
SHARE Geonetwork portal

Hierarchy level: Series

Statement: The AWS here located (named AWS1 Forni) has been set up on the ablation tongue at the WGS84 coordinates 46° 23’ 56.0” N, 10° 35’ 25.2” E, 2669 m (ellipsoidal elevation) at the base of the Eastern icefall. The AWS location is a good compromise between the needs for minimizing local topography effects and lowering the probability of avalanches destroying the AWS. The AWS 1 Forni is built around a 20 channels LSI-Lastem Babuc ABC datalogger similar to those currently deployed in the Ev-K2-CNR Himalayan monitoring network, including the 5050 m a.s.l. AWS at the Italian “CNR Pyramid Laboratory” in the Mount Everest area. The AWS Forni Glacier has been running since the 26-09-2005. The AWS is equipped with sensors for measuring air temperature, relative humidity, air speed and velocity, barometric pressure, incoming and reflected solar radiation in the 0.3 - 3 µm spectral range and far infrared radiation in the 5 - 50 µm range from the sky and from the glacier surface (four-components Kipp & Zonen CNR-1 net radiometer). A 1000 cm2 unheated rain gauge and a Campbell SR-50 sonic ranger are also present to measure rain and snow level respectively. In order to allow triggering of the SR-50 sonic ranger by the Babuc ABC datalogger, as well as to input the digital readout of the snow level, we designed and built a custom digital interface suitable for low temperatures operation. This was necessary since the Babuc ABC is only equipped with a proprietary serial interface for which specifications were not readily available. Furthermore, voltage levels, pulse length and rise times which can be output from the Babuc ABC’s actuator sockets are neither compatible with the Campbell SR-50 nor programmable, at least within the required tolerances. These parameters also showed to be very sensitive both to battery voltage and to ambient temperature, which is normal when considering their intended purpose of supplying power to external devices. Our interface allowed to correctly shape the trigger pulse for initiate the snow level measurement, as well as to acquire the serial pulse train output from the SR-50 through a spare datalogger input meant for rain gauge connection. Power is supplied by two solar panels rated for 40W of combined nominal power and backed-up by a 100 Ah 12 V lead-gel battery; the battery voltage over time is recorded by the datalogger. Spare datalogger inputs, as well as power and data storage capability are available to support additional devices such as further temperature and relative humidity sensors at various heights above ground and a GSM modem. Estimated battery-only power supply in the present configuration is estimated in excess of two months, with the solar panels permanently obscured by snow accumulation and accounting for low temperatures operation and self discharge. Data storage takes place in a hot-swappable 2 Mbytes flash memory card capable of a more than 6 months-long record. The whole system is supported by a four legs, 5 m high stainless steel mast standing on the ice surface according to the construction proposed and tested by IMAU. This sensors suite allows evaluating the actual suitability of the selected location and the overall system performance over wintertime conditions. The scientific partners of Forni Projects are: EV-K2-CNR Bergamo, AEM Milano, Arpa Lombardia, CAI Alpine Rescue Service (Bormio and Valfurva stations).