introduction to ceh's wallingford meteorological station
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Introduction to CEH Wallingford Meteorological Station
Katie Muchan, Site Manager
Royal Meteorological Society Visit - 25th July 2014
Photo: K
atie Muchan
Outline
• Site and record history
• Current monitoring
• Analysis of the record• Extremes in the record• Ground level vs. Standard gauge• Surface – groundwater interactions
• Data use
Site History
Starting in 1962, the site now has 52 complete years of record for some variables (sunshine, max and min air temperature)
Mean Temperature
Tem
pera
ture
(°C
Site History
Since the last RMS visit in 2007, the site has moved twice
1962 – 2007 location
2007 – 2011 location
2011 – current location Source: Bing Maps
Current site instrumentationManual Site
Wind vane and anemometer
Stevenson screen (4 x air temperature)
Soil thermometers (10cm, 30cm, 100cm)
Ground temperature (concrete and grass)
Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder
Storage raingauges (standard and ground-
level)
AWS
Didcot AWS (air temperatures, wind
direction, wind speed, solar radiation,
sunshine)
Tipping bucket raingauges (standard and
ground-level)
Equipment Testing Area
Snowdon raingauge
Radiometers
Soil moisture probes
Analysis: Site Records
• Extremes recorded at the site over the last 53 years
• Most recently, the wettest winter on record (2013/2014)
Record Day / Month Figure
Wettest month August 1977 163.6mm
Driest month April 2007 1.0mm
Warmest day 19th July 2006 35.2°C
Coldest night 14th January 1982 -21.0°C
‘Sunniest’ month June 1975 291.5 hours
‘Cloudiest’ month December 2010 12.7 hours
The winter of 2013/2014
• Three months of above average rainfall
December 2013
January 2014
February 2014
Winter 2013/2014
Total rainfall in mm 97.9 148.4 112.9 359.2Maximum monthly rainfall total in mm (Year*)
131.2(1989)
118.7(1995)
103.3(1990)
311.5(1989/1990)
Average monthly rainfall total in mm 57.7 54.6 37.5 148.8% of monthly average 170 272 302 241
Photo: Katie Muchan
Photo: Katie Muchan
The winter of 2013/2014
• Three months of above average rainfall
• Total rainfall: 359.2mm• Annual average of
595.4mm• Previous maximum:
311.5mm
Photo: Katie Muchan
Photo: Katie Muchan
The winter of 2013/2014
• Three months of above average rainfall
• Total rainfall: 359.2mm• Annual average of
595.4mm• Previous maximum:
311.5mm
• Widespread and persistent flooding
Photo: Katie Muchan
Photo: Katie Muchan
Analysis: Raingauge height
• ‘Undercatch’ in standard raingauges from several sources
• Exposure (wind) thought to cause the largest difference
Photo: Harry Dixon
Rodda and Dixon (2012) Rainfall Measurement Revisited,
Weather, 67. 5. 131-136. DOI: 10.1002/wea.875
Analysis: Raingauge height
• ‘Undercatch’ in standard raingauges from several sources
• Exposure (wind) thought to cause the largest difference
• Extensive tests in 1960s
• Both still in use on the site today
Photo: Harry DixonPhoto: Harry Dixon
Rodda and Dixon (2012) Rainfall Measurement Revisited,
Weather, 67. 5. 131-136. DOI: 10.1002/wea.875
Analysis: Raingauge height
• Tests in the 1970-80s showed up to 16% ‘undercatch’ at exposed sites
• Wallingford site: average annual difference in catch was 5.6% (1969-2006)
Rodda and Dixon (2012) Rainfall Measurement Revisited, Weather, 67. 5. 131-136. DOI: 10.1002/wea.875
Analysis: Rainfall, Rivers & Groundwater
• Rainfall, groundwater level and river level monitoring with BGS
Analysis: Rainfall, Rivers & Groundwater
• Rainfall, groundwater level and river level monitoring with BGS
• How do groundwater levels in a shallow aquifer interact with rainfall events?
• Aquifer and river show quick response to rainfall
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
• Support National Hydrological Monitoring Programme
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
• Support National Hydrological Monitoring Programme
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
• Support National Hydrological Monitoring Programme
• Small information pieces• CEH blog post on winter rainfall• Data included in BHS Circulation bulletins
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
• Support National Hydrological Monitoring Programme
• Small information pieces• CEH blog post on winter rainfall• Data included in BHS Circulation bulletins
• Support CEH research• Instrument testing
• Site visits
http://cehsciencenews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/winter-rainfall-record-wallingford-met-site.html
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
• Support National Hydrological Monitoring Programme
• Small information pieces• CEH blog post on winter rainfall• Data included in BHS Circulation bulletins
• Support CEH research• Instrument testing
• Site visits
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
• Support National Hydrological Monitoring Programme
• Small information pieces• CEH blog post on winter rainfall• Data included in BHS Circulation bulletins
• Support CEH research• Instrument testing
• Site visits
Outreach and Data Uses
• Part of the Met Office National climate network• Site 5558
• Support National Hydrological Monitoring Programme
• Small information pieces• CEH blog post on winter rainfall• Data included in BHS Circulation bulletins
• Support CEH research• Instrument testing
• Site visits
Website
• Launched in December 2012
• Near real-time daily data
• Future plans to add AWS data
http://www.ceh.ac.uk/data/metsite/wallingfordmetsite.html
CEH Monitoring
• Wider meteorological monitoring network
• Other CEH monitoring networks• Ecological• Soils• Vegetation• Water• Air Chemistry
COSMOS-UK
Chalk Rivers Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions
Soils
Thank You
Photo: H
arry Dixon
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