Iowa Environmental Mesonet

October 4, 2001Dennis Todey

Iowa State University

Iowa Environmental MesonetHistoryIEM – What is it? AssessmentCurrent Products & Web siteInput from YOU!

IEM – How is it different?Other mesonets have been built from scratch at

great cost.

The IEM attempts to capitalize on existing resources and supplement them. This can be a model for other states and the nation.

What we are lackingCentral data facility (archive)Data comparison standardsDetailed soil temperature dataRegular soil moisture dataComplete state coverageShort term data (from 2 days - 6 weeks)

Automated Stations

Iowa Environmental Mesonet

Io w a E nv iro nm e nta l M e so n et

E M D sh o rt-te rm up d a tes(W h e n n e cessa ry)

N W S /F A AA irp ort S ta tio ns

ID O TR W IS

IS UA u to m a ted

U S G S /C O ER ive r S ites

C O O P S ta tio ns S C A N S itesU S D A /N R C S

Io w a E nv iro nm e nta l M e so n etD a ta P ro cess ing

D a ily/ho u rly su m m ary d a ta H is to rica l d a taS u m m a rie s/C lim a to lo gy

Potential UsersFarmers/ProducersEmergency managers CitizenryIndustryEducation (K – graduate)Climate/agricultural researchersNWS

Cooperators/SupportersNational Weather ServiceIowa State University Insurance IndustryUSDA OCEIowa DOTIDALS

Improve collaboration among scientists and managers to enhance the effectiveness of observation networks, monitoring, prediction, information delivery, and applied research and to foster public understanding of and preparedness for drought.

Goal 2 National Drought Policy Commission“Preparing for Drought in the 21st Century”

Station density

Don’t we have enough??

Maximum temperature

Relative humidity

Wind

Precipitation

Current Products

What do we have now?

http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu

Current Products

http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu

ISU Automated NetworkSoil Temp.

ISU Automated NetworkSolar Rad.

ISU Automated Network hits (2000)

Products – Network comparison

Products – Davenport AWOS-RWIS

Products – Davenport AWOS-RWIS

Products – Network comparison

SCAN (Soil Climate Analysis Network)

SCAN (Soil Climate Analysis Network)Air and soil temperatureWindRelative humidityPrecipitationSoil moistureSolar radiationSnowfall and depth

Could be created daily