Radiosonde Data Distribution In Place for Modeling During M-PACE

 
Published: 15 October 2004

An M-PACE researcher launches a radiosonde at Oliktok Point.  Several launch periods, spanning at least 5 days each with 4 launches per day, are planned for all four experimental sites (Barrow, Oliktok Point, Atqasuk and Toolik Lake).

During the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE), taking place in October 2004 at the ARM Climate Research Facility North Slope of Alaska (NSA) locale, radiosonde systems are being deployed at Atqasuk, Toolik Lake, and Oliktok Point. Critical to the success of the experiment is the ability to transmit radiosonde data—as well as routine data from the NSA site in Barrow—to the Global Telecommunications System (GTS), with minimal delay after completion of the sounding. On October 7, with only a few weeks advance notice, the ARM Climate Research Facility data coordination staff completed the necessary revisions to the radiosonde data collection software to enable distribution to GTS via a server—or gateway—sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This allows the data to be used near real time in forecasting models used during the experiment.

GTS is the World Meteorological Organization integrated network of point-to-point circuits and multi-point circuits which interconnect meteorological telecommunication centers. Its purpose is to enable an efficient exchange of meteorological data and products in a timely and reliable way to meet the needs of world, regional and national meteorological centers. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting—reknown for its forecasting models—acquires the data from the GTS and integrates it into some of their modeling products. Researchers involved in M-PACE are using these modeling products to plan aircraft operations for cloud and atmospheric sampling during the campaign.

Based upon this recent success, the ARM Climate Research Facility data coordination staff plan to distribute radiosonde data from the Manus and Nauru sites at the ARM Climate Research Facility Tropical Western Pacific locale through the NOAA gateway in the future.