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The West Texas Mesonet: a Technical Overview

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The West Texas Mesonet: a Technical Overview FEBRUARY 2005 S C H ROEDER ET AL. 211 The West Texas Mesonet: A Technical Overview J. L. SCHROEDER,W.S.BURGETT,K.B.HAYNIE, AND I. SONMEZ Wind Science and Engineering Research Program, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas G. D. SKWIRA National Weather Service, Lubbock, Texas A. L. DOGGETT Applied Insurance Research, Boston, Massachusetts J. W. LIPE National Weather Service, Lubbock, Texas (Manuscript received 2 March 2004, in final form 1 July 2004) ABSTRACT The West Texas Mesonet originated in 1999 as a project of Texas Tech University. The mesonet consists of 40 automated surface meteorological stations, two atmospheric profilers, and one upper-air sounding system. Each surface station measures up to 15 meteorological and 10 agricultural parameters over an observation period of 5 and 15 min, respectively. The mesonet uses a combination of radio, cell phone, landline phone, and serial server (Internet) communication systems to relay data back to the base station at Reese Technology Center (formerly Reese Air Force Base), Texas. Data are transmitted through the radio network every 5 min for most meteorological data and every 15 min for agricultural data. For stations located outside of the radio network, phone systems transmit data every 30–60 min. The archive includes data received through the various communication systems, as well as data downloaded in the field from each station during regularly scheduled maintenance visits. Quality assurance/control (QA/QC) tests effectively flag data for manual review from a decision maker. The QA/QC flags and review decisions are then added to the database. All data are available free of charge; real-time data are available on the West Texas Mesonet Web page, and an interface to access the data archive is currently being developed. 1. Introduction for a statewide Texas Mesonet, currently (as of January 2004) consists of 40 automated surface meteorological The West Texas Mesonet (WTM) is a joint partner- stations, two atmospheric profilers, and one upper-air ship between the Atmospheric Science Group and sounding system. All, except one, of the WTM surface Wind Science and Engineering Research Center at stations are within 250 km of Lubbock, Texas (see Fig. Texas Tech University. Originating in 1999, the main 1). Each surface station measures up to 28 different goal of the WTM is to provide free, timely, and accu- parameters with an observation period of 5 min for rate meteorological and agricultural data to all resi- meteorological data (e.g., air temperature, humidity, dents of the South Plains/Rolling Plains region of west- etc.) and 15 min for agricultural data (e.g., soil tempera- ern Texas. The WTM has a close partnership with the ture, soil moisture content, etc.). All real-time data National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Lubbock, from the surface stations are available free of charge Midland, Amarillo, and Fort Worth, and provides valu- online at the WTM Web page at www.mesonet.ttu.edu. able real-time data to aid in warning verification for the The WTM also includes two atmospheric profilers lo- NWS in the data-sparse region of western Texas. cated at Reese Technology Center, Texas. The WTM, originally intended to be a pilot project 2. West Texas Mesonet surface Corresponding author address: J. L. Schroeder, Dept. of Geo- observation systems sciences, Texas Tech University, Box 42101, Lubbock, TX 79409- 2101. The WTM project was modeled after the Oklahoma E-mail: [email protected] Mesonet (Brock et al. 1995). The site selection specifi- © 2005 American Meteorological Society Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/02/21 01:10 PM UTC JTECH1690 212 JOURNAL OF ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC TECHNOLOGY VOLUME 22 Stations were located at strategic points to act as both full mesonet stations and radio repeaters. This ap- proach required two or three mesonet stations in one county while other counties have only one station. The WTM has a dense network of stations aligned north– south near the Caprock Escarpment to aid in radio re- ception between the stations on and off the Caprock. There are approximately 750 m in elevation change be- tween the farthest northwest and southeast stations. Again this required some creative positioning of sta- tions to aid in radio reception. The second constraint in site selection was to main- tain correct wind exposure and site slope. For each site, the Oklahoma Mesonet guidelines of maintaining a site slope of less than 5° and limiting obstruction heights to 0.05 times the distance between the obstruction and the anemometer were used (Brock et al. 1995). Occasion- ally this requirement has demanded the removal of mesquite and other small trees that violate the wind exposure guidelines from around the site. The third constraint in site selection involved land- owners providing the site free of charge. Approxi- mately two-thirds of the WTM sites are on public land owned by either a local city or county. The remaining sites are on privately owned land. Landowners were FIG. 1. Map of West Texas Mesonet stations with WTM asked to refrain from any major disruption in the sur- four-letter IDs. rounding land characteristics for a minimum of 10 yr. Permission was also obtained to access each site from each landowner in all weather conditions and at any cations, site layout, and instrumentation selection of the time of the day. WTM are nearly identical to those used by the Okla- b. Site layout and details homa Mesonet (Shafer et al. 1993). The original pro- posal for the WTM required the installation of at least The layout of each mesonet station was modeled af- one mesonet station per county in a 28-county region ter the Oklahoma Mesonet with only minor differences surrounding Lubbock, Texas. There are currently 40 in sensor positioning (see Figs. 2 and 3 for site sche- stations in 28 counties as of January 2004. At least three matics). Each station has a fenced-in 10 m by 10 m plot additional WTM stations are planned for completion of land with a 10 m tall, guyed aluminum tower. The prior to the end of 2004. tower is hinged and can easily be lowered by two per- sonnel for sensor replacement and maintenance. A 70 cm wide by 70 cm deep concrete base was used to se- a. Site selection cure the tower with three guy wires used for additional The WTM covers two distinct geographic areas in support. western Texas. A flat plateau region west of the Ca- Each station uses solar panels to charge several deep- prock Escarpment dominates the South Plains region cycle gel-type marine batteries for power. The number that surrounds Lubbock. This area has a significant of solar panels and batteries at a site varies depending amount of irrigated agricultural production (mostly cot- on the amount of radio repeater traffic at the individual ton) with a limited population outside of the main city location. An average site has two 20-Wsolar panels of Lubbock. The land is very flat with minimal wind mounted with a south exposure and two deep-cycle ma- obstructions. The land east of the Caprock escarpment rine batteries. Several major repeater sites have two is called the Rolling Plains region, which is character- 50-W solar panels and four deep-cycle marine batteries ized by small hills and a very sparse population. This for power. To minimize shading on sensors, the solar area is ranch country; again it contains only minimal panels are mounted approximately half way up the wind obstructions. tower. No more than two 50-W solar panels are There were three main constraints in determining mounted on the tower because of wind loading con- site selection in the above regional area. The first con- cerns. If additional solar panels are needed, they are straint was to maintain a station spacing of approxi- mounted at ground level approximately 6 m away from mately 35 km throughout the network while satisfying the tower itself. the physical constraints of a line of sight radio network. The rain gauge (with a wind screen), soil tempera- Unauthenticated | Downloaded 10/02/21 01:10 PM UTC FEBRUARY 2005 S C HROEDER ET AL. 213 FIG. 2. Elevation view of a typical West Texas Mesonet station. The 2-m temperature probe is not easily depicted given its location and has been omitted. Please see the plan view (Fig. 3) for more information. ture, and moisture content sensors are the only instru- are added for support. For those sites with no cattle, ments not attached directly to the tower. The other regular hog fencing was used with minimal fence posts. sensors are mounted on boom arms at different levels Tumbleweeds accumulate both inside and outside the on the tower (see Fig. 4). All wiring from the off-tower fenced-in area. These tumbleweeds can accumulate to sensors is routed through PVC pipe and buried under- significant depths inside the fenced-in area during the ground. The rain gauge is mounted to a 45 cm square spring months. At times, the tumbleweeds have concrete pad that is 20 cm above ground level to mini- blocked rain gauges and broken low-level sensors at mize flooding problems from heavy rainfall events. The several WTM locations. Tumbleweed removal is there- natural and bare soil temperature/moisture content fore part of the maintenance schedule for each site. plots are marked with treated lumber to identify their Animal damage to low-level sensors and wiring is a location during mowing. major problem. There is a significant concentration of The majority of the WTM sites are located in rural black-tailed prairie dogs on the South Plains region of areas, which at times are surrounded by cattle.
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