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Whately Weather: Realtime Monitoring at the MacLeish Field StationMeredith Gallogly ’12 and Jenna Zechmann ’12 (STRIDE)

Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063

Introduction

Advisor: Andrew Guswa

Methods

Summary

The MacLeish Field Station at the Smith CollegeExperimental Forest monitors variousatmospheric conditions. A new web page(http://macleish.smith.edu) streams this data inrealtime for public viewing. Constructing thiswebpage involved creating meaningful datadisplay formats using RTMC Pro software.

Parameter InstrumentPrecipitation (mm) Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge

Temperature ( ˚C) Outdoor ThermocoupleIndoor RH Sensors (2)

Wind Speed (m/sec) and Direction (azimuth)

Acoustic Doppler Anemometer

Solar Radiation (watts/sq. m) Pyranometer

Barometric Pressure Barometer

Relative Humidity RH Sensor

Results

Final Layout

Create Chart with RTMC

Get Feedback from Faculty

Modify Chart in RTMC

Launch Webpage

Write Program with

LoggerNet

Test Data Collection

This webpage functions to demystifygoings-on at the MacLeish Field Station andallow researchers remote observation ofweather patterns and storm events.Displays using multiple units and familiargraphics make these pages readable by avariety of audiences. This page can serveas an educational tool at K-12 schools andalso to provide short-range data to thescientific community at Smith College.

Programs were written for specific data collectionprobes using LoggerNet. Probes were tested in anindoor setting to ensure that data collectionprograms were functioning properly. Next, chartsand figures were created using RTMC Pro, andfaculty from the Landscape Studies, Biology, andEngineering departments were contacted forfeedback. Based this feedback charts weremodified, then the webpage was launched usingRTMC Web.

AcknowledgementsWe are greatly indebted to the following faculty and staff members who provided us with advice, guidance and technical expertise:Andrew Guswa, Bob Newton, SusanFroehlich, Dale Renfrew, Paul Voss, EricJensen, Thomas Litwin, Ann Leone, ReidBertone-Johnson, L. David Smith, AmyRhodes, Tony Caldanaro, and JesseBellemare.

Dials and charts are designedto provide current data to thecasual observer. This pageprovides weather stationbackground and location andexplains how specializedcharts (such as the wind rose)may be read.

Provides 5-day meteorologicalrecords for more in-depth analysis.

Provides data pertinent to thehealth of the instrumentationenvironment.

Weather tower and ground sensors at the field stationmeasure a variety of parameters.

Location of the field station

Tower sensors

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The weather station islocated in the southernportion of a 200 acre plot ofmixed field and forest.Instrument data from thetower is sent to a computerin the weather stationbuilding.

In the early morning ofFebruary 23rd, 2010, a heavywet snow and sudden freezeevent destroyed severaltrees on the Smith Campus.Did these snows reach theSmith College ExperimentalForest? Weather monitoringdata indicated that no snowsfell in Whately that night (seeright).

02/21 02/22 02/23 02/24 02/250

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Sol

ar R

adia

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(Wat

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From The Grecourt Gate

Indicates time t, or theexpected time that treeson the Smith campusbroke under heavy snows.

All graphs were created in MatLab.

At time t (indicated by the green arrow) barometricpressure rose slightly in Whately and wind speed didnot exceed 4 m/sec. No large gusts occurred until theafternoon of 2/23/10.

Also at time t the temperature dropped to -5 C andthen quickly rose ten degrees to 5 C. At the sametime, the relative humidity rose from 50% to 75%and then swiftly dropped back to 50%. On 2/24/10the relative humidity rose drastically to 100%.

Precipitation (snow) started at Whately 8 hours afterthe destructive precipitation event at Smith. Fourmillimeters of precipitation fell on 2/24/10 and 34millimeters fell on 2/25/10.

Weather data shows that the Smith heavy snow eventdid not (concurrently) affect Whately, but likely was atleast a temporally localized occurrence.

Barometric Pressure and Wind Speed Temperature and Relative Humidity Precipitation and Solar Radiation

http://macleish.smith.edu