MAO/AOS/S1/M1 - Instrument maintenance

Instrument maintenance and cleaning inlets affecting data.

• heater_temp
• Ambient air temperature(T_Ambient)
• Wind direction, relative to true North(WindDirection)
• Wind speed(WindSpeed)
• Rain Intensity(rain_intensity)
• Ambient air relative humidity(RH_Ambient)
• Ambient pressure(P_Ambient)
• Rain Duration(rain_duration)
• heater_volts
• ref_volts
• Rain amount(rain_amount)
• supply_volts

MAO/AOSMET/S1 - Wind settings modified in instrument

Settings for the WXT520 Weather Transmitter were changed. The settings for how the wind 
was reported were not as users might expect.  

First, while the wind speed and direction was read and recorded every second the averaging 
time was 3 seconds.  This means that the wind reported each second was a running average 
of the last 3 seconds, not the second of the time stamp.

Next, the wind speed was calculated as Gust & lull, instead of traditional Max/Min values.

• Wind direction, relative to true North(WindDirection)
• Wind speed(WindSpeed)

MAO/AOSMET/S1 - Variables affected by mounting location

The current mounting is just above the steel lid on the aerosol stack, which is subject to 
radiation effects. The MAOS measurement of temperature is not representative and highly 
influenced by radiative heating due to its mounting location. Measurements of moisture 
are probably influenced by the mounting location above gravel and the shelter.

• Ambient air temperature(T_Ambient)
• Wind direction, relative to true North(WindDirection)
• Wind speed(WindSpeed)
• Ambient air relative humidity(RH_Ambient)
• Ambient pressure(P_Ambient)

MAO/LDIS/S10 - Communication failure

A communication failure between computer and instruments led to erroneous data

• heating_current
• class_size_width
• Number density of drops of the diameter corresponding to a particular drop size
  class per unit volume(number_density_drops)
• Intercept parameter, assuming an ideal Marshall-Palmer type distribution(intercept_parameter)
• sensor_voltage
• Liquid water distribution mean, assuming an ideal Marshall-Palmer type
  distribution(liquid_water_distribution_mean)
• Median volume diameter, assuming an ideal Marshall-Palmer type distribution(median_volume_diameter)
• Moment 6 from the observed distribution(moment6)
• Moment 5 from the observed distribution(moment5)
• Moment 4 from the observed distribution(moment4)
• Moment 3 from the observed distribution(moment3)
• Moment 2 from the observed distribution(moment2)
• diameter_min
• Moment 1 from the observed distribution(moment1)
• Slope parameter, assuming an ideal Marshall-Palmer type distribution(slope_parameter)
• raw_fall_velocity
• Raw drop size distribution(raw_spectrum)
• Meteorological optical range visibility(mor_visibility)
• Fall velocity calculated after Lhermite(fall_velocity_calculated)
• radar_reflectivity
• Number of particles detected(number_detected_particles)
• diameter_max
• sensor_temperature
• Particle size average(particle_size)
• laserband_amplitude
• SYNOP WaWa Table 4680(weather_code)
• radar_reflectivity_sband
• Liquid water content(liquid_water_content)
• Precipitation intensity(precip_rate)

MAO/AOSMET/S1 - Connector dropouts

Data stream includes missing_value indicator (blank fields) for temperature, relative 
humidity and barometric pressure when the sensor connection failed.

• Ambient air temperature(T_Ambient)
• Ambient air relative humidity(RH_Ambient)
• Ambient pressure(P_Ambient)

MAO/AOSMET/S1 - Data should not be used for site conditions

The AOSMET should not be used for site conditions.  The precipitation data can be used if 
compared against the other precipitation instruments onsite (MET, RAIN, PARS2).

• Rain Intensity(rain_intensity)
• Rain Duration(rain_duration)
• Rain amount(rain_amount)

MAO/AOS/M1/S1 - Forest Fire

Smoke from forest burning can be seen on the TSI images rising and then subsequently 
moving over the site during this period.  Many of the AOS instruments observed a sharp spike 
in data values.

October 4-8 multiple fires in the area resulted in hazy conditions during this entire 
period.

Most notable in the following instruments and variables

ACSM - Total Organics
AETH - Black Carbon Concentrations at all wavelengths
CCN100 - Spike in number concentrations occurred a few hours after the smoke plume
CLAP3W - Absorption Coefficient
CPC - Similar to the CCN100, spike in particle concentration occurred a few hours later
CPCF - Particle Concentration
CPCU - Particle Concentration
NEPHELOMETERS - Scattering/Backscattering Coeff
PSAP3W - Absorption Coefficient
SMPS - Concentration and Size Distribution
UHSAS - Size Distribution

• Ambient air temperature(T_Ambient)

MAO/AOSMET/S1 - No data recorded

Data dropout for unknown reason.  Computer was running.  No Operator note or report.  
Mentor checked the instrument computer and it APPEARS vi restarted.

• time_offset
• Altitude above mean sea level(alt)
• Wind direction, relative to true North(WindDirection)
• Wind speed(WindSpeed)
• Rain Intensity(rain_intensity)
• Ambient air relative humidity(RH_Ambient)
• ref_volts
• heater_volts
• supply_volts
• heater_temp
• base_time
• East longitude(lon)
• Ambient air temperature(T_Ambient)
• Ambient pressure(P_Ambient)
• time
• Rain Duration(rain_duration)
• North latitude(lat)
• Rain amount(rain_amount)

MAO/AOSMET/S1 - Data dropout for unknown reason

Data does not exist. This does not appear to failure of the sensor or program.  It appears 
the vi was turned off.

• time_offset
• Altitude above mean sea level(alt)
• Wind direction, relative to true North(WindDirection)
• Wind speed(WindSpeed)
• Rain Intensity(rain_intensity)
• Ambient air relative humidity(RH_Ambient)
• ref_volts
• heater_volts
• supply_volts
• heater_temp
• base_time
• East longitude(lon)
• Ambient air temperature(T_Ambient)
• Ambient pressure(P_Ambient)
• time
• Rain Duration(rain_duration)
• North latitude(lat)
• Rain amount(rain_amount)

MAO/RAIN/S10 - Reprocess: Rename Datastream from RAIN to RAINTB

Per BCR-02233, the RAIN datastreams were updated to included the type of instrument making 
the measurement.  The MAO RAIN should be reprocessed to RAINTB

• temp1
• ptemp
• Precipitation(precip)
• Precipitation intensity(precip_rate)
• East longitude(lon)
• temp3
• weight3
• Model derived 2-meter temperature(temp2)
• weight2
• time
• weight1
• time_offset
• total_mm
• maintenance_cnt
• frequency1
• Altitude above mean sea level(alt)
• stat_latch
• North latitude(lat)
• volt_min
• frequency2
• total_weight
• frequency3
• scans_per_min
• base_time
• error_latch