########################################################################### # Notice on the use of Antarctic Meteorological Research Center data sets # ########################################################################### # The Antarctic Meteorological Research Center (AMRC) collects, archives # # and provides Antarctic meteorological observational data to the # # community and public for research, logistic, and educational activities.# # The AMRC requests acknowledgement for use of the data in any published # # work. See http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/acknowledgement.html for details on # # how to acknowledge AMRC data, displays or information. # # If the AMRC data are critical to the work, co-authorship may be # # appropriate. Please contact the AMRC in such a case. # # # # AMRC Contact Information: # # Address: 947 Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences Building # # 1225 West Dayton Street # # Madison, Wisconsin, USA 53706 # # Telephone: +1 (608) 262-0436 # # Fax: +1 (608) 263-6738 # # E-mail: amrc@ssec.wisc.edu # # Web: http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/ # # FTP: ftp://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/ # # McIDAS ADDE: Group AMRC and ARCHIVE on aws.ssec.wisc.edu # # RAMADDA: https://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/repository/ # # Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AMRCAWS # # Twitter: http://twitter.com/antmet # # YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMRCantmet # # Wikipedia: # # http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Meteorological_Research_Center # # http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Automatic_Weather_Stations_Project # # # Updated: 16 July 2013 # # # ########################################################################### Description of each column In the following, except for OBTIME, information is given on a) what the parameter is (see section 7 and the Meteorological Office "Observer's Handbook" for a detailed description of these), b) the data type of the variable of the form integer (I), real (R) or character (C), c) whether the variable is in measurement or WMO code form, d) how it is measured, e) valid range in case of non-coded data. In d) the information in brackets refers to automatic weather instrumentation. Missing values for all data columns are left as null. 'YY MM DD HH24' Date variable giving the calendar date and time of the observation 'TOTAL_CLOUD_AMOUNT' a) Total cloud amount, b) I, c) oktas (eighths cover), d) visual, e) from 0 to 9 where 0 is clear sky, 8=total cover and 9 is sky not observable and 10 is sky obscured. 'WIND_SPEED' a) Wind speed, b) R, c) in knots measured to nearest 1 knot averaged over 10 minutes , d) Munro cup generator (Vector Instruments) but occasionally subjectively estimated by observer or determined by using hand held equipment, e) 0 to 90 knots. 'WIND_DIRECTION' a) Direction from which wind blows, b) I, c) in tens of degrees from North via East measured to the nearest 10 degrees averaged over 10 minutes (5 minutes for MAWS), d) Munro direction vane (Vector Instruments), e) 0 to 360 where zero denotes calm and values from 1 to 360 give the wind direction where 360 denotes direction from due north. A 999 value indicates direction is variable. 'VISIBILITY' a) Visibility - "the greatest distance at which an object can be seen" (Meteorological Office Observers Handbook, 1982) from the point of observation, b) C, c) code (90 (less than 50 m) to 99 (greater than 50 km) code format is used), d) manual. 'PRESENT_WEATHER' a) Present weather conditions, b) C, c) code, d) manual. 'PAST_WEATHER' a) Past weather conditions, b) C, c) code (code changed from one to two characters in 1982), d) manual. 'MSL_PRESSURE' a) Mean sea level pressure, b) R, c) measurement to nearest 0.1 mb, d) Kew type or aneroid barometer (aneroid, KDG Setra barometer), e) 930 to 1030 mb. 'DRYBULB_TEMPERATURE' a) Screen dry bulb temperature (Assman psychrometer at Halley for occasions of wind speed <16 knots up to end of 1986), b) R, c) measurement to nearest 0.1øC, d) thermometer (platinum resistance thermometer (PRT). 'WETBULB_TEMPERATURE' a) Screen wet bulb temperature, b) R, c) measurement to nearest 0.1øC, d) thermometer (determined from PRT and humidity sensor readings (see below), e) range varies between stations. 'VAPOUR_PRESSURE' a) Saturation vapour pressure, b) R, c) measurement in mb and tenths of a mb, (e.g. 49=4.9 mb) d) derived using wet and dry bulb temperature (PRT and humidity sensor readings), e) 0 to 10 mb. 'RELATIVE_HUMIDITY' a) Relative humidity, b) I, c) measurement to nearest 1%, d) derived from DRYBULB and WETBULB measurement (PRT and humidity sensor readings), e) 0 to 102% 'LOW_CLOUD_AMOUNT' a) Low cloud amount, b) I, c) as total_cloud_amount, d) manual 'LOW_CLOUD_TYPE' a) Type of low cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'MEDIUM_CLOUD_TYPE' a) Type of medium cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'HIGH_CLOUD_TYPE' a) Type of high cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'DEWPOINT' a) Dewpoint temperature, b) R, c) measurement to nearest 0.1øC (rounded to nearest whole degree prior to 1st January, 1986), d) derived from dry and wet bulb measurements (PRT and humidity sensor readings), e) varies between stations. 'FIRST_CLOUD_AMOUNT' a) Amount of lowest layer of cloud, b) I, c) as total_cloud_amount, d) manual 'FIRST_CLOUD_TYPE' a) Type of lowest layer of cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'FIRST_CLOUD_HEIGHT' a) Height of lowest layer of cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'SECOND_CLOUD_AMOUNT' a) Amount of second lowest layer of cloud, b) I, c) as total_cloud_amount, d) manual 'SECOND_CLOUD_TYPE' a) Type of second lowest layer of cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'SECOND_CLOUD_HEIGHT' a) Height of second lowest layer of cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'THIRD_CLOUD_AMOUNT' a) Amount of third lowest layer of cloud, b) I, c) code, d) manual 'THIRD_CLOUD_TYPE' a) Type of third lowest layer of cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual 'THIRD_CLOUD_HEIGHT' a) Height of third lowest layer of cloud, b) C, c) code, d) manual Questions or comments can be directed to amrc@ssec.wisc.edu.