Overview of Automated QA - December 1997

Below is an overview from Mark Shafer of the automated quality
assurance results for the December 1997 Oklahoma Mesonet data.
1.  CLAY RELH again failed 1-2 observations almost daily.   No
trouble-ticket, but be cautious.  Symptoms ceased after the 19th
(continues from November 1997).

2.  STIL LEAF failed a number of obs on the 6th; a trouble-ticket was
issued on December 13 (continues from November 1997).

3.  Battery Voltage problems at NEWK, NOWA, and WAUR on the 4th and FREE
on the 11th.  Caution is advised for any data from these stations on
those days.

4.  More inversion flags from the 14th - 19th, especially MEDI and
CHEY.  These sites are a bit higher elevation and often do not get
nocturnal inversions while surrounding sites do, resulting in suspect
(and even a few warning flags) for TAIR and RELH.  These flags during
this time should be disregarded - the data are fine.

5.  Numerous sites were flagged by our persistence check for TAIR on the
23rd: BOWL, CLAR, COPA, NOWA (also TA9M for NOWA), OKEM, and OKMU.
There was heavy cloud cover and fog across much of Oklahoma during late
December - mid January.  I'm not sure whether the nearly constant
temperatures reported by these sites were due to the air mass or whether
the sites may have been iced by a passing storm.

6.  NINN TS10 started showing problems on the 23rd and 24th.  It was
flagged as a failure on January 12, 1998.  Caution is advised fromt he
23rd through the 12th.

- Mark


>        OKLAHOMA MESONETWORK QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORT
>        for the month of December, 1997
>
>        Based upon observations taken at 1800 UTC each day
>
>        Prepared by Jerry Brotzge (jbrotzge@ou.edu)
>
> ================================================================================
>
> Notes: Greetings all...
>         December was seemingly an average month weatherwise, marked by spring-
> like temps and occasional arctic blasts.  Temps averaged in the 40s.  Last
> month's precip averaged about 100 mm (~4 inches) statewide, nearly double the
> normal precip.  Norm recorded 99 mm, compared to only 2 mm the previous year.
> This gave our raingauges a workout, and a few problems were found.
>         A plague of spiders in the ARS also kept our techs busy.  Six gauges
> were clogged from spider webs and cocoons.
>         Overall, though, a normal month for instrument repair. Rotations
> continue in preparation for OASIS.
>
>         As retiring QAMGR, kudos to all who've made my short stint an enjoyable
> one.  Chris Fiebrich will gradually be taking things over...
>
> ================================================================================
>
> TAIR (Air Temperature at 1.5 meters):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
> TDEW/RELH (RH is measured at 1.5 meters):
>         Current t-tkts: #1618 TIPT Low dewpoint values, often out of range.
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       #1568 ARNE Replaced due to bad RH switch; fixed Srad
>                                 problem.
>                         #1585 FTCB Field test showed temp off by 1C; replaced.
>                         #1607 EUFA Sensor replaced; output good.
>
>
> WDIR (Wind Direction at 10 meters):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       #1560 FTCB No prob found, but reported incorrect in the
>                                 past.  Sensor replaced.
>
>
> WSPD (Wind Speed at 10 meters):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       #1594 HECT Propeller missing from wind monitor.
>
> PRES/PALT (Sea level Pressure):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
>
> SRAD (Incident Solar Radiation):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       #1559 ARNE Fixed by replacing T/RH probed due to stuck
>                                 RH switch.
>                         #1581 BESS Broken AG wire
>
> RAIN:   Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       #1590 NINN Spider webs clogged gauge
>                         #1589 ADAX Spider cocoons clogged funnel/tipping bucket
>
> TA9M (Air Temperature at 9 meters):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
> WS2M (Wind Run at 2 meters):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
> TS10 (Soil temperature at 10 cm under native sod):
>         Current t-tkts: #1579 TIPT Data reads -273.1; stopped reporting
>                         #1603 MTHE Plots show about 3C too warm
>                         #1604 BLAC Plots show about 3C too warm
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
> TB10 (Soil temperature at 10 cm under bare soil):
>         Current t-tkts: #1580 TIPT Data reads -273.1; stopped reporting
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
> TS05 (Soil temperature at 5 cm under native sod):
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
> TB05 (Soil temperature at 5 cm under bare soil):
>         Current t-tkts: #1605 MEDI Plots show about 2-3C too warm
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       #1564 BUFF Old sensor read 4C too cool. Replaced.
>
> TS30 (Soil temperature at 30 cm under native sod):`
>         Current t-tkts: None
>         Added:          None
>         Resolved:       None
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                                 ARS QA REPORT
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> TAIR (Air Temperature at 1.5 meters):
>         Current t-tkts:  None.
>         Added:           None.
>         Resolved:        None.
>
> TDEW/RELH (RH is measured at 1.5 meters):
>         Current t-tkts:  #1617 A121 Found dewpoint error of 1.75
>         Added:           #1623 A181 QA monthly plots showed a max RH of 134.5
>         Resolved:        #1599 A132 No prob at site; suspect electronics/
>                                 wiring.
>
> SRAD (Incident Solar Radiation):
>         Current t-tkts:  #1606 A123 Monthly plots show about 75 W/m2 too low
>         Added:           None
>         Resolved:        None
>
> RAIN:   Current t-tkts:  None.
>         Added:           None.
>         Resolved:        #1593 A162 Spider webs clogged gauge
>                          #1592 A147 Spider webs clogged gauge
>                          #1591 A132 Spider webs clogged gauge w/debris
>                          #1611 A167 Spider in gauge and web in tube; cleaned
>
> TS05 (Soil temperature at 5 cm under native soil):
>         Current t-tkts:  None.
>         Added:           None.
>         Resolved:        None.
>
> TS10 (Soil temperature at 10 cm under native sod):
>         Current t-tkts:  None.
>         Added:           None.
>         Resolved:        None.
>
> TS15 (Soil temperature at 15 cm under native soil):
>         Current t-tkts:  None.
>         Added:           None.
>         Resolved:        None.
>
> TS30 (Soil temperature at 30 cm under native sod):
>         Current t-tkts:  None.
>         Added:           None.
>         Resolved:        None.
>
>
> Jerry Brotzge
> January 10, 1998
>

Users of these data should obtain the detailed quality
assurance information from ARM.

• alt
• prec_amt
• wvec_10m
• time_offset
• pres
• wspd_sigma
• wspd_10m
• wdir_10m
• tdry_1_5m
• base_time
• lon
• wspd_max
• wspd_2m
• rh
• tdry_9m
• srad
• wdir_sigma
• lat

• Raw data stream - documentation not supported

• leaf_ind
• alt
• tsoil5
• tsoil10
• tbare5
• vbat
• base_time
• lon
• tbare10
• tbare30
• time_offset
• lat

• Raw data stream - documentation not supported