How has the climate of the U'S' changed over the past 50 years on national, regional and local level

1
An observing system that 50 years from now can,
with the highest degree of confidence, answer the
question
How has the climate of the U.S. changed over
the past 50 years on national, regional and local
levels?
2
CRN Program Objectives

• Benchmark Network for temperature and
  precipitation
• Anchor points for USHCN and full COOP network
• Long-Term Stability of Observing Site (50 years)
  likely to be free from human encroachment
• Sensors Calibrated to Traceable Standards
• Planned redundancy of sensors and selected
  stations
• Network Performance Monitoring - Hourly and Daily
  
• Strong Climate Science Research Component
• Annual review by Ad Hoc Science Review Panel

3

Ten Climate Principles

• Management of Network Change
• Parallel Testing
• Meta Data
• Data Quality and Continuity
• Integrated Environmental Assessment
• Historical Significance
• Complementary Data
• Climate Requirements
• Continuity of Purpose
• Data and Meta Data Access
• Each key climate variable will be measured using
  independent observations.

4
USCRN Network Final Configuration, Summer
2008 (114 stations at 107 locations)
8 candidate locations
5
Site Density

• Statistical analysis for network to maximize the
  reduction in uncertainty of the change in the
  climate signal
• 300 stations 2.5-degree grid
• 100 stations 5-degree grid
• Minor deviations from the grid to capture
  climatic regimes

6
Standard Measurements

• Primary Sensors
• Air Temperature (3 separate aspirated sensors)
• Precipitation (4 separate sensors)
• Secondary Sensors
• Wind Speed
• Global Solar Radiation
• Ground Surface (Skin) Temperature
• Power AC/DC
• Solar panels Wind power (optional)
• Extended Range Operating Envelopes

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AK Barrow 4 ENE, NOAA (CMDL Observatory)
8
Polar Bear modifications at Barrow, AK
This is not an icicle
This is not a new CRN shield design
9
AK Fairbanks 11 NE, NOAA / NESDIS (FCDAS)
10
AZ Elgin 5 S, Audubon (Appleton-Whittell Research
Ranch)
11
AZ Tucson 11 W, Sonora Desert Museum
12
CA Redding 12 WNW, Whiskeytown National
Recreation Area
13
CO Boulder 14 W, Mountain Research Station,
INSTAAR, Univ. of CO (Hills Mill)
14
CO Nunn 7 NNE, NSF (Long Term Ecological Research
Site)
15
GA Newton 8 W, Robert W. Woodruff Foundation
(Ichauway-George Site)
16
GA Newton 11 SW, Robert W. Woodruff Foundation
(Ichauway-Dubignon Site)
17
ID Arco 17 SW, Craters of the Moon National
Monument
18
ID Murphy 10 W, ARS, NW Watershed Research Center
19
IL Champaign 9 SW, Univ. of Illinois (Bondville
Environ. Atmos. Resrch. Stn.)
20
IL Shabonna 5 NNE, Northern Illinois Agronomy
Research Center
21
KA Manhattan 6 SSW, Kansas State University,
(Konza Prairie Biological Station)
22
KY Versailles 3 NNW, University of Kentucky
(Woodford County Site)
23
LA Lafayette 13 SE, University of Louisiana at
Lafayette (Cade Farm)
24
LA Monroe 26 N, Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge
25
ME Limestone 4 NNW, Aroostook National Wildlife
Refuge (Fire Training Area)
26
ME Old Town 2 W, University of Maine (Rogers Farm
Site)
27
MN Goodridge 12 NNW, Agassiz National Wildlife
Refuge
28
MS Newton 5 ENE, Mississippi State University
(Coastal Plain Exp. Station)
29
MT St. Mary 1 SSW, Glacier National Park (St.
Mary Site)
30
MT Wolf Point 29 ENE, Fort Peck Indian
Reservation (Poplar River Site)
31
MT Wolf Point 34 NE, Fort Peck Indian Reservation
(Morgan Site)
32
NE Harrison 20 SSE, Agate Fossil Beds National
Monument (Visitor Center Site)
33
NE Lincoln 8 ENE, University of Nebraska (Prairie
Pines Site)
34
NE Lincoln 11 SW, Audubon Society (Spring Creek
Prairie Site)
35
NH Durham 2 N, University of New Hampshire
(Kingman Farm Site)
36
NH Durham 2 SSW, University of New Hampshire
(Thompson Farm Site)
37
NM Socorro 20 N, Sevilleta National Wildlife
Refuge
38
NC Asheville 8 SSW, North Carolina Arboretum
(Bierbaum Site)
39
NC Asheville 13 S, NC Mountain Horticultural
Crops Research Center
40
OK Stillwater 2 W, Oklahoma State Univ. (Ag.
Research Farm Site)
41
OK Stillwater 5 WNW, Oklahoma State University
(Efaw Farm Site)
42
OR Riley 10 WSW, Northern Great Basin
Experimental Range
43
RI Kingston 1 NW, University of Rhode Island
(Plains Road Site)
44
RI Kingston 1 W, University of Rhode Island
(Peckham Farm Site)
45
SC Blackville 3 W, Clemson University (Edisto
Research Edu. Ctr.)
46
SC McClellanville 7 NE, SCDNR (Santee Coastal
Reserve)
47
SD Sioux Falls 14 NNE, EROS Data Center
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TX Monahans 6 ENE, Sandhills State Park
49
TX Palestine 6 WNW, NASA (National Scientific
Balloon Facility)
50
WA Darrington 21 NNE, North Cascades National
Park (Marblemount)
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WV Elkins 21 ENE, Canaan Valley Resort State Park
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CRN Station Site Selection Standards

• Site Density methodology
• Baker/Leroy basis for site classification
• Objective site scoring
• Trained site surveyors
• Exceeds WMO standards

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Trained Site Surveyors

• Regional Climate Centers (RCCs)
• Responsible for site surveys of potential CRN
  sites
• Trained on the objective scoring system
• Complete the scoring sheet as part of the site
  survey process
• Score becomes part of the station metadata.

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Major Goals of USCRN Applied Science and Research

Activities 1. Support decisions regarding
system design, and engineering. 2. Determining
transfer functions between sensors measuring
like parameters 3. Determining the
appropriateness of replacing one sensor
style/model with a different (better performing)
sensor model. 4. Test and validation of new
instruments

• ufficient CRN stations deployed ( 300) for
  capture
• of CONUS National Regional Climate
  Signals
• Inter-network (Coop, SCAN, SNOTEL, RAWS)
• transfer functions give increased,
  homogeneous spatial coverage.
• Inter-database (HCN, some Coop, NADP)
• transfer functions extend
  high-confidence
• Length-of-Record Observations.
• Sufficient CRN data stream confidence supports
  broad scientific analyses of
  climate trends.
• CRN data on-line within one hour of receipt at
  NCDC.
• CRN data and metadata public access

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Precipitation Gauge Small DFIR w/Single Alter
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450 events Liquid and Solid
345 events Liquid
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Solid 105 events
GEO 2
GEO 1
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105 Events measured from 1/25/2004 to 2/22/2007
3 Years Geonor 1 Total 20.74 In Geonor 2
Total 20.81 in
60

Performance Study of Air Temperature and
Humidity/Water Vapor Monitoring Systems for the
CRN
Kenneth G. Hubbard and Xiaomao Lin
High Plains Regional Climate Center
Kevin Robbins
Southern Regional Climate Center
Bruce Baker
National Climatic Data Center

• ufficient CRN stations deployed ( 300) for
  capture
• of CONUS National Regional Climate
  Signals
• Inter-network (Coop, SCAN, SNOTEL, RAWS)
• transfer functions give increased,
  homogeneous spatial coverage.
• Inter-database (HCN, some Coop, NADP)
• transfer functions extend
  high-confidence
• Length-of-Record Observations.
• Sufficient CRN data stream confidence supports
  broad scientific analyses of
  climate trends.
• CRN data on-line within one hour of receipt at
  NCDC.
• CRN data and metadata public access

61

Air Temp. Sensor Array (Lincoln)
Sensors/Shields included Three
CRN-Thermistors Pair CRN-PRT Pair ASOS Standard
RMY CRN RMY Pair MMTS Pair Gills Single
PMT Single CRS

• ufficient CRN stations deployed ( 300) for
  capture
• of CONUS National Regional Climate
  Signals
• Inter-network (Coop, SCAN, SNOTEL, RAWS)
• transfer functions give increased,
  homogeneous spatial coverage.
• Inter-database (HCN, some Coop, NADP)
• transfer functions extend
  high-confidence
• Length-of-Record Observations.
• Sufficient CRN data stream confidence supports
  broad scientific analyses of
  climate trends.
• CRN data on-line within one hour of receipt at
  NCDC.
• CRN data and metadata public access

High Plains Regional Climate Center
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Climate Reference Network
Temperature Sensors
Three USCRN thermistors (sensor first deployed)
performed good with a field bias (95 CI) about
0.28 oC. The two USCRN PRT temperature sensors
(sensor now deployed) were slightly better than
USCRN thermistors about 0.24 oC (95 CI)
CRN air temperature sensors had 0.2 oC
precision or interchangeability (99 confidence)
for one-minute averaged data.
The CRN air temperature differences from the
aspirated shields were independent of solar
radiation, ambient wind speed, and ground surface
temperatures

• ufficient CRN stations deployed ( 300) for
  capture
• of CONUS National Regional Climate
  Signals
• Inter-network (Coop, SCAN, SNOTEL, RAWS)
• transfer functions give increased,
  homogeneous spatial coverage.
• Inter-database (HCN, some Coop, NADP)
• transfer functions extend
  high-confidence
• Length-of-Record Observations.
• Sufficient CRN data stream confidence supports
  broad scientific analyses of
  climate trends.
• CRN data on-line within one hour of receipt at
  NCDC.
• CRN data and metadata public access

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Metadata Management
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U.S. Historical Climatology Network
Modernization Valley Head, Alabama Station
Configuration Modeled after USCRN
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• Climate Reference Network URL
• http//www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/uscrn/