Oklahoma Mesonet
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Mesonet is a network of environmental monitoring stations designed to measure the environment at the size and duration of mesoscale weather events. The phrase "mesonet
" is a portmanteau of the words mesoscale
and network
. In meteorology, “mesoscale” refers to weather events that range in size from one mile to 150 miles and can last from several minutes to several hours. Mesoscale events include thunderstorms, wind gusts, heat bursts and dry lines. Without densely spaced weather observations, these mesoscale events might go undetected.
The network consists of 120 automated stations covering Oklahoma and each of Oklahoma's counties has at least one station. At each site, the environment is measured by a set of instruments located on or near a 10 metres (32.8 ft)-tall tower. The measurements are packaged into “observations” and transmitted to a central facility every 5 minutes, 24 hours per day, every day of the year.
Oklahoma Mesonet is a cooperative venture between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma
and is supported by the taxpayers of Oklahoma. It is headquartered at the National Weather Center
on the OU campus.
Observations are available free of charge to the public.
Mesonet
In meteorology, a mesonet is a network of automated weather stations designed to observe mesoscale meteorological phenomena. Dry lines, squall lines, and sea breezes are examples of phenomena that can be observed by mesonets...
" is a portmanteau of the words mesoscale
Mesoscale meteorology
Mesoscale meteorology is the study of weather systems smaller than synoptic scale systems but larger than microscale and storm-scale cumulus systems. Horizontal dimensions generally range from around 5 kilometers to several hundred kilometers...
and network
Telecommunications network
A telecommunications network is a collection of terminals, links and nodes which connect together to enable telecommunication between users of the terminals. Networks may use circuit switching or message switching. Each terminal in the network must have a unique address so messages or connections...
. In meteorology, “mesoscale” refers to weather events that range in size from one mile to 150 miles and can last from several minutes to several hours. Mesoscale events include thunderstorms, wind gusts, heat bursts and dry lines. Without densely spaced weather observations, these mesoscale events might go undetected.
The network consists of 120 automated stations covering Oklahoma and each of Oklahoma's counties has at least one station. At each site, the environment is measured by a set of instruments located on or near a 10 metres (32.8 ft)-tall tower. The measurements are packaged into “observations” and transmitted to a central facility every 5 minutes, 24 hours per day, every day of the year.
Oklahoma Mesonet is a cooperative venture between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and is supported by the taxpayers of Oklahoma. It is headquartered at the National Weather Center
National Weather Center
The National Weather Center , located on the campus of the University of Oklahoma, is a confederation of federal, state, and academic organizations that work together in partnership to improve understanding of events occurring in Earth's atmosphere over a wide range of time and space scales...
on the OU campus.
Observations are available free of charge to the public.
Every five minutes
- Air temperature and relative humidityRelative humidityRelative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
at 1.5 m (4.9 ft) - RainfallEarth rainfall climatologyEarth rainfall climatology encompasses the rainfall distribution across different regions of the planet Earth. In mountainous areas, heavy precipitation is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation. On the leeward side of mountains, desert climates...
- Barometric pressure
- Solar radiationInsolationInsolation is a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time. It is commonly expressed as average irradiance in watts per square meter or kilowatt-hours per square meter per day...
- Wind speedWind speedWind speed, or wind velocity, is a fundamental atmospheric rate.Wind speed affects weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, construction projects, growth and metabolism rate of many plant species, and countless other implications....
and directionWind directionWind direction is reported by the direction from which it originates. For example, a northerly wind blows from the north to the south. Wind direction is usually reported in cardinal directions or in azimuth degrees...
at 10 m (32.8 ft)
Every 15 minutes
- Soil temperature under bare soil and natural sod at 5 cm (2 in) and 10 cm (3.9 in)
- Soil temperature under natural sod at 30 cm (11.8 in)
Every 30 minutes
- Soil moisture at 5 cm (2 in), 25 cm (9.8 in), and 60 cm (23.6 in)