SGP/SWATS/E8 - Sensor failure, 15cm W

The temperature rise readings from the 15-cm depth on the west profile are incorrect. This 
also causes the matric potential and water content data to be incorrect.

Instrument removed from service 20091110.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)

SGP/SWATS/E8 - Sensor failure, 15cm E

The temperature rise readings from the 15-cm depth on the east profile are incorrect. This 
also causes the matric potential and water content data to be incorrect.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)

SGP/SWATS/E12 - Time drift

The time synchronization server stopped working on Feb. 19th at 22:12:16 GMT.  The clock 
was corrected by -5600.177269 seconds on March 10th at 22:47 GMT. The recorded times for 
observations are off by amounts ranging from 0 seconds on Feb. 19th to 5600 seconds on 
March 10th.

• Precipitation, total(precip)
• time
• base_time
• time_offset

• tref
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• time_offset
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• base_time
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Incorrect Soil Moisture Data

Due to failure of an electronic component (apparently caused by the onset of 
precipitation), the temperature rise readings from both the west and east profiles (trise_W, trise_E) 
are incorrect at all depths. This also causes the matric potential (soilwatpot_W, 
soilwatpot_E) and water content (watcont_W, watcont_E) data to be incorrect.

• Raw data stream - documentation not supported

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Reprocess: Changed Depth Dimension

The dimension "depth" in the netCDF files was incorrectly reported as 8, and has been 
changed. Newer files with the correct smaller depth dimension do not have extra placeholder 
values and thus are smaller in size.

• depth

SGP/SWATS/E12 - Reprocess: Changed Depth Dimension

The dimension "depth" in the netCDF files was incorrectly reported as 8, and has been 
changed. Newer files with the correct smaller depth dimension do not have extra placeholder 
values and thus are smaller in size.

• depth

SGP/SWATS/E13 - Reprocess: Changed Depth Dimension

The dimension "depth" in the netCDF files was incorrectly reported as 8, and has been 
changed. Newer files with the correct smaller depth dimension do not have extra placeholder 
values and thus are smaller in size.

• depth

SGP/SWATS/E9 - Incorrect reference temperature

The reference temperature was incorrect resulting in incorrect results for soil moisture 
measurements.

• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• tref
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)

SGP/SWATS/E12 - Incorrect soil moisture

Temperature rise values were way to high (~40 deg C).  Water potential is calculated from 
a rise (and subsequent drop) in temperature in the sensor that is normally ~1-5 degrees 
C.  When the temperature rise is too high, the soil moisture data is dubious at best and 
unusable at worst.  Since this "out-of-bounds" t_rise is so high, the soil moisture data 
are practically unusable.

Soil temperature measurements were not affected.

• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E12 - Reprocess: Incorrect calibrations

Incorrect data configuration program was loaded on logger resulting in incorrect 
coefficients applied.  Data will be reprocessed with correct coefficients.

• tref
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E8 - Sensor failure, 35cm W

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.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Sensor failure, 5cm E

The temperature rise readings from the 5-cm depth on the east profile are incorrect. This 
also causes the matric potential and water content data for the 5-cm depth to be 
incorrect. The soil temperature measurements were not affected.

• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E15 - Incorrect soil moisture

At 20:00 GMT on 05/07/08, temperature rise data from ALL sensors on both profiles began 
reporting values of temperature change near 0 C. These incorrect values of temperature rise 
result in incorrect soil moisture data for all sensors. 

Soil temperature data are unaffected.

• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Sensor failure, 15cm E

The temperature rise readings from the 15-cm depth on the east profile were incorrect (0 
or -9999) This also caused the matric potential and water content data for the 15-cm depth 
to be incorrect.

Soil temperature data measurements also failed 20060502.  No data from this sensor should 
be used at or beyond this date.

• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Sensor failures

Following a period of missing values (-9999) from 08/05/05-08/17/05, sensors at several 
depths failed.

Temperature rise values from the 60cm West and 85cm East profile sensors were very noisy 
after 08/17/05. These data, including matric potential and water content, were incorrect.

Temperature rise values from the 85cm West and 125cm East profile sensors are reported as 
0 after 08/17/05. Matric potential and water content data for these sensor were also 
incorrect.  Soil temperatures for these depths were unaffected.

Temperature rise and soil temperature measurements for the 60cm East and 125cm West 
profile sensors were reported as 0 or -9999 after 08/17/05. Matric potential and water content 
data for these sensors were also incorrect.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Incorrect soil moisture data

After 12/20/2007, temperature rise values for all sensors (still operational at the time) 
were much too high, on the order of 10's of degrees C. Matric potential and water content 
data for these sensors were also incorrect.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)

SGP/SWATS/E8 - Sensor failure, 60cm W

At 2:00 GMT on 07/30 all measurements from the 60 cm W sensor began reporting as -9999. 
The sensor has failed. 

This EF site is scheduled to be decommissioned in the near future.

Instrument removed from service 20091110.

• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)

SGP/SWATS/E13 - Lightning damage

After a lightning strike near the CF, the SWATS trise values were reporting near zero. The 
current channel in the CE8 module failed, so the wire was moved to the next channel and 
trise values returned to normal.

There are no soil moisture data available during this time period.

• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)

SGP/SWATS/E15 - Missing data

Data are missing and unrecoverable.

• serial_numbers_E
• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• time_offset
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)
• Soil Temperature, West Profile(tsoil_W)
• depth
• lat
• base_time
• alt
• tref
• Soil Water Potential, West Profile(soilwatpot_W)
• serial_numbers_W
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• lon
• Volumetric Water Content, West Profile(watcont_W)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, West Profile(trise_W)

SGP/SWATS/E20 - Sensor failure, 25cm E

The East 25 cm sensor t-rise values dropped to zero on 7/11. The t-rise values came back 
up on 7/22 0200 GMT, but again were missing from 7/25 1600 GMT through 7/27 1700 GMT.  Ops 
reseated connection.

• Soil Water Potential, East Profile(soilwatpot_E)
• Volumetric Water Content, East Profile(watcont_E)
• Soil Temperature, East Profile(tsoil_E)
• Sensor Temperature Rise, East Profile(trise_E)