Description: | The sensor installed at 35 cm at the west profile has produced questionable data ince it
was installed back in 1996. Once the sensor began to stabilize at 17:00 GMT on 07/20/99,
it has produced questionable or incorrect values of temperature rise. From 07/20/99 to
the present date, 35cm W temperature rise values have stayed within a range of
approximately 0.8-2.0 C, while the sensor from the 35cm E profile has produced an approximate range
of 1.5-4.0 C.
In addition, the calibration for this sensor is so bad it is not possible to correct it
using field data. The range of temperature rise values produced by this sensor is too
limited to reliably re-calibrate the instrument. Under the old ARM calibration for SWATS,
the calibrated reference temperature change should fall within a range of 1.45-4.00 C (the
new range is 1.38-3.96 C). For this sensor, the reference temperature change has fallen
within an approximate range of 0.2-1.7 C and the calibration is actually adjusting the
trise measurements in the wrong direction.
Therefore, all temperature rise, matric potential and water content data
are all highly suspect from the 35cm W sensor.
The soil temperature data appear to be OK.
Instrument removed from service 20091110. |