Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 1–28, 2021 https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-1-2021 © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. WegenerNet high-resolution weather and climate data from 2007 to 2019 Jürgen Fuchsberger1, Gottfried Kirchengast1,2, and Thomas Kabas1 1Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (WEGC), University of Graz, Graz, Austria 2Institute for Geophysics, Astrophysics, and Meteorology/Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria Correspondence: Jürgen Fuchsberger ([email protected]) Received: 5 October 2020 – Discussion started: 3 November 2020 Revised: 25 January 2021 – Accepted: 29 January 2021 – Published: Abstract. This paper describes the latest reprocessed data record (version 7.1) over 2007 to 2019 from the WegenerNet climate station networks, which since 2007 have been providing measurements with very high spa- tial and temporal resolution of hydrometeorological variables for two regions in the state of Styria, southeastern Austria: (1) the WegenerNet Feldbach Region, in the Alpine forelands of southeastern Styria, which extends over an area of about 22 km × 16 km and comprises 155 meteorological stations placed on a tightly spaced grid with an average spatial density of 1 station per ∼ 2 km2 and a temporal sampling of 5 min, and (2) the Wegener- Net Johnsbachtal, which is a smaller “sister network” of the WegenerNet Feldbach Region in the mountainous Alpine region of upper Styria that extends over an area of about 16 km × 17 km and comprises 13 meteorological stations and 1 hydrographic station at altitudes ranging from below 600 m to over 2100 m and with a temporal sampling of 10 min. These networks operate on a long-term basis and continuously provide quality-controlled station time series for a multitude of hydrometeorological near-surface and surface variables, including air tem- perature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direction, wind gust speed and direction, soil moisture, soil temperature, and others like pressure and radiation variables at a few reference stations. In addition, gridded data are available at a resolution of 200 m × 200 m for air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and heat index for the Feldbach region and at a resolution of 100 m × 100 m for the wind parameters for both regions. Here we describe this dataset (the most recent reprocessing version 7.1) in terms of the measurement site and station characteristics as well as the data processing, from raw data (level 0) via quality-controlled basic station data (level 1) to weather and climate data products (level 2). In order to showcase the practical utility of the data, we also include two illustrative example applications, briefly summarize and refer to scientific uses in a range of previous studies, and briefly inform about the most recent WegenerNet advancements in 2020 towards a 3D open-air laboratory for climate change research. The dataset is published as part of the University of Graz Wegener Center’s WegenerNet data repository under the DOI https://doi.org/10.25364/WEGC/WPS7.1:2020.1 (Fuchsberger et al., 2020) and is continuously extended. 1 Introduction meteorological networks cover scales of 10 km or larger (e.g. interstation distance in Switzerland (of MeteoSwiss- 10 While climate model simulations can achieve kilometer- operated rain gauges) is 10–15 km (Wüest et al., 2010), scale resolution for both general circulation models (e.g., and in Germany the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) oper- Miyamoto et al., 2013; Klocke et al., 2017) and regional cli- ates about 1100 rain gauges (Bartels et al., 2004), result- 5 mate models (e.g., Prein et al., 2015; Kendon et al., 2017; ing in an average interstation distance of about 18 km). At Leutwyler et al., 2017; Fuhrer et al., 2018), there is a lack scales below 10 km, most observation networks operate in a 15 of ground observation data for verifying model outputs and campaign-type setting with short observation periods and/or studying weather and climate at this resolution. Common Published by Copernicus Publications. 2 J. Fuchsberger et al.: WegenerNet data from 2007 to 2019 (version 7.1) focus on the sub-kilometer scale only (e.g., Moore et al., Kirchengast et al.(2014). Additional information about the 2000; Jensen and Pedersen, 2005; Ciach and Krajewski, network has been given in several reports. The most com- 2006; Fiener and Auerswald, 2009; Pedersen et al., 2010; Jaf- prehensive description of the WegenerNet FBR, including 55 frain and Berne, 2012; Peleg et al., 2013). In the 1950s and its setup, processing system, and data, is given in the Ger- 5 1960s some larger networks existed at this scale, for exam- man PhD thesis by Kabas(2012). Subsequent reports focus ple in Illinois, USA (Huff and Shipp, 1969), and Oklahoma, on specific topics and improvements of the WegenerNet Pro- USA (Hershfield, 1969), but data from these networks are not cessing System (WPS): Fuchsberger and Kirchengast(2013) in a digital format and are therefore of limited use for current describe the generation of soil moisture data; Szeberényi 60 analyses if they are even accessible at all. To the authors’ (2014) focuses on precipitation data analyses, Scheidl(2014) 10 knowledge, only two operational long-term-observation fa- and Scheidl et al.(2017) describe the implementation of cilities at the 1 to 10 km scale exist worldwide: the Walnut new quality control algorithms for precipitation and humidity Gulch Experimental Watershed (hereafter just called “Wal- data, respectively; Ebner(2017) addresses homogenization nut Gulch”), which focuses on rainfall measurements and of temperature and humidity data; and finally Fuchsberger 65 is located in a semi-arid climate in southeastern Arizona, et al.(2018) give an overview of the implemented changes in 15 USA (Goodrich et al., 2008; Keefer et al., 2008), and the version 7 of the WPS. WegenerNet Feldbach Region (FBR) climate station network The WegenerNet JBT has been in development for many (which is presented in this paper), which provides a broad years and has not yet been described in its entirety in a sin- array of hydrometeorological variables and is located in the gle paper, although information can be taken from various 70 southeastern Alpine forelands of Austria (Kirchengast et al., papers and reports: Strasser et al.(2013) describe 10 of the 2 20 2014). Walnut Gulch covers an area of about 149 km and 14 currently operating stations and a project related to the consists of about 90 rain gauges, located at altitudes between region, the “cooperation platform Johnsbachtal”. Schlager 1100 and 2300 m (Tan et al., 2018), resulting in an aver- et al.(2018) give a general description and information about age density of about 0.6 gauges per square kilometer. In the 11 of the 13 meteorological stations, their location, and mea- 75 WegenerNet FBR, 155 hydrometeorological stations are dis- sured parameters. An MSc thesis by Grünwald(2014) (writ- 2 25 tributed over an area of about 300 km at altitudes ranging ten in German) contains a detailed description of the Johns- from 257 to 520 m. The average density is about 0.5 stations bachtal region, covering its location, geology, and climate as per square kilometer. well as providing detailed information about 10 of the 13 me- The WegenerNet FBR was specifically built as a long- teorological stations. It also includes an overview and analy- 80 term weather and climate monitoring facility that would pro- sis of the temperature and wind data collected between 2011 30 vide open-ended measurements at very high spatiotemporal and 2014. resolution. It has been in operation since January 2007 and Related scientific output has grown over time, as illus- helps fill the gap between short-term, high-resolution obser- trated by the fact that 11 of 22 scientific journal papers col- vations and long-term observations at larger scales. In 2010, lected as “WegenerNet-related publications” were published 85 the WegenerNet FBR was expanded with an Alpine sister in 2018 and 2019. They cover a wide range of topics, includ- 35 network. The WegenerNet Johnsbachtal (JBT) covers 13 me- ing works with a focus on high-resolution rainfall variability teorological stations and 1 hydrographic station in an area of and heavy precipitation (Hiebl and Frei, 2018; O et al., 2018; about 16 km × 17 km, with altitudes ranging from about 600 Schroeer and Kirchengast, 2018; Schroeer et al., 2018; Frei to 2200 m above mean sea level (m.s.l.). A detailed descrip- and Isotta, 2019; O and Foelsche, 2019), works with a focus 90 tion of both networks can be found in Sect.3. on temperature variability and change (Kabas et al., 2011a; 40 This paper focuses on an up-to-date characterization of the Kann et al., 2011; Krähenmann et al., 2011), works with a fo- two WegenerNet networks. It describes the latest reprocessed cus on wind field data and dynamic modeling (Schlager et al., data record (version 7.1) over 2007 to 2019 and their pro- 2017, 2018, 2019), works evaluating precipitation data from cessing from raw data (level 0) via quality-controlled basic radar or satellite measurements (Kann et al., 2015; O et al., 95 station data (level 1) to weather and climate data products 2017; Tan et al., 2018; Lasser et al., 2019; Hu et al., 2020), 45 (level 2). In order to showcase the practical utility of the works with a focus on hydrological modeling of high- and data we also include two illustrative example applications low-flow extremes (Hohmann et al., 2018, 2020), and works and briefly summarize and refer to scientific uses in a range with a focus on ecosystem research (Denk and Berg, 2014). of previous studies. Some of them are directly linked to aspects of 100 the WegenerNet data processing: Schlager et al.