US Climate Reference Network
Encyclopedia
The US Climate Reference Network (USCRN) Program was begun in 2002 and remains under construction with an expected completion date in late 2008. It has the long-term commitment of the Department of Commerce
(DOC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA). This network will be maintained and modernized during the life of the program.
This is a program that will collect and analyze the highest quality climate data possible. Research based on these data will directly support near and long term policy and decision plans made by senior government and business leaders.
The research community, government agencies, and private businesses have identified significant shortcomings in understanding and examining long-term climate trends and change over the U.S. and surrounding regions. Some of these shortcomings are due to the lack of adequate documentation of operations and changes regarding the existing and earlier observing networks, the observing sites, and the instrumentation over the life of the network. These include inadequate overlapping observations when new instruments were installed and not using well-maintained, calibrated high-quality instruments. These factors increase the level of uncertainty when government and business decision-makers are considering long-range strategic policies and plans. Never before have people been so aware of the impact of the environment and climate variability
and change on the quality of life and the economic health of a nation, its citizens, and the population of the world. This project will serve as a model for establishing similar networks in other countries.
Program is being implemented and managed by the National Climatic Data Center
(NCDC)
located in Asheville, NC
. Scientists and engineers from the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD) located in Oak Ridge, TN
, are assisting the NCDC USCRN Program staff. System design and test, implementation, and associated programmatic budgets and plans support is being provided by the NESDIS Office of systems Development.
The primary goal of the U. S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) is to provide future long-term
high-quality observations of surface air temperature and precipitation that can be coupled to
past long-term observations for the detection and attribution of present and future climate
change. The USCRN fulfills the Nation's need for long-term high quality climate observations
and records with minimal time-dependent biases affecting the interpretation of decadal to
centennial climate variability and change.
The USCRN will provide the Nation with a first-class long-term (50 to 100 years) observing
network that will serve as the Nation's Benchmark Climate Reference Network. When fully
implemented, the network will consist of several hundred instrument suites strategically selected
to capture climate trends, variations, and change across the Nation.
Data from these USCRN sites will be used to provide the best possible information on long-term
changes in air temperature and precipitation, including means and extremes. Additional sensors
may be added in the future, such as soil moisture and soil temperature.
USCRN data will be used in operational climate monitoring activities and for placing current
climate anomalies into a historical perspective. These data will be transmitted hourly via the
GOES Data Collection System (DCS)
and immediately distributed by the National Weather
Service (NWS) to their operational sites. These observations will also be available on-line and
accessible via the World Wide Web
(WWW).
Essential components of the USCRN are well-documented life cycle maintenance,
modernization, and performance histories, as well as a robust science and research component.
There will be routine maintenance visits to the sites and regular calibration of the sensors. The
performance of the sensors and the network will be routinely monitored. The research effort will
continually evaluate the data, new sensors, and emerging calibration techniques. When a new
type sensor can contribute to improving the quality of the observations, there will be at least a
one-year continuity overlap of current and new sensors.
Every USCRN instrument site is being equipped with a standard set of sensors, a data logger
,
and a satellite communications transmitter attached to a typical 3 meter (10 feet) instrument
tower, as well as at least one weighing rain gauge
, encircled by a wind shield. Off-the-shelf
commercial equipment and sensors are being selected based on performance, durability, and
cost.
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
(DOC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA). This network will be maintained and modernized during the life of the program.
This is a program that will collect and analyze the highest quality climate data possible. Research based on these data will directly support near and long term policy and decision plans made by senior government and business leaders.
The research community, government agencies, and private businesses have identified significant shortcomings in understanding and examining long-term climate trends and change over the U.S. and surrounding regions. Some of these shortcomings are due to the lack of adequate documentation of operations and changes regarding the existing and earlier observing networks, the observing sites, and the instrumentation over the life of the network. These include inadequate overlapping observations when new instruments were installed and not using well-maintained, calibrated high-quality instruments. These factors increase the level of uncertainty when government and business decision-makers are considering long-range strategic policies and plans. Never before have people been so aware of the impact of the environment and climate variability
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and change on the quality of life and the economic health of a nation, its citizens, and the population of the world. This project will serve as a model for establishing similar networks in other countries.
Program is being implemented and managed by the National Climatic Data Center
National Climatic Data Center
The United States National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina is the world's largest active archive of weather data. The center became established in late 1951, with the move into the new facility occurring in early 1952....
(NCDC)
located in Asheville, NC
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. Scientists and engineers from the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD) located in Oak Ridge, TN
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
, are assisting the NCDC USCRN Program staff. System design and test, implementation, and associated programmatic budgets and plans support is being provided by the NESDIS Office of systems Development.
The primary goal of the U. S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) is to provide future long-term
high-quality observations of surface air temperature and precipitation that can be coupled to
past long-term observations for the detection and attribution of present and future climate
change. The USCRN fulfills the Nation's need for long-term high quality climate observations
and records with minimal time-dependent biases affecting the interpretation of decadal to
centennial climate variability and change.
The USCRN will provide the Nation with a first-class long-term (50 to 100 years) observing
network that will serve as the Nation's Benchmark Climate Reference Network. When fully
implemented, the network will consist of several hundred instrument suites strategically selected
to capture climate trends, variations, and change across the Nation.
Data from these USCRN sites will be used to provide the best possible information on long-term
changes in air temperature and precipitation, including means and extremes. Additional sensors
may be added in the future, such as soil moisture and soil temperature.
USCRN data will be used in operational climate monitoring activities and for placing current
climate anomalies into a historical perspective. These data will be transmitted hourly via the
GOES Data Collection System (DCS)
Morcom International, Inc.
Morcom International, Inc., based in Chantilly, Virginia, was founded in 1984 as a privately owned company in Virginia, USA. Specializing in radio communication technology, the company has been managed since 1998 by Manuel A. Ojeda, a well known RF communications specialist...
and immediately distributed by the National Weather
Service (NWS) to their operational sites. These observations will also be available on-line and
accessible via the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
(WWW).
Essential components of the USCRN are well-documented life cycle maintenance,
modernization, and performance histories, as well as a robust science and research component.
There will be routine maintenance visits to the sites and regular calibration of the sensors. The
performance of the sensors and the network will be routinely monitored. The research effort will
continually evaluate the data, new sensors, and emerging calibration techniques. When a new
type sensor can contribute to improving the quality of the observations, there will be at least a
one-year continuity overlap of current and new sensors.
Every USCRN instrument site is being equipped with a standard set of sensors, a data logger
Data logger
A data logger is an electronic device that records data over time or in relation to location either with a built in instrument or sensor or via external instruments and sensors. Increasingly, but not entirely, they are based on a digital processor...
,
and a satellite communications transmitter attached to a typical 3 meter (10 feet) instrument
tower, as well as at least one weighing rain gauge
Rain gauge
A rain gauge is a type of instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to gather and measure the amount of liquid precipitation over a set period of time....
, encircled by a wind shield. Off-the-shelf
commercial equipment and sensors are being selected based on performance, durability, and
cost.