WMOD00549

• Title: Testing of Satellite Uplinked Remote Surface Weather Stations in the Sierra Nevada
• Date: 6/19/1978
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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Reprinted from P'reprint Volume: Conferenc(' on S U'rra
Nevada Meteorology, June 19-21, 1978, S. Lake Tahoe~
Calif. Published by American Meteoro]ogiral Soct(~tv.
Boston, Mass.

TESTING OF SATELLITE UPLINKED REMOTE SURFACE
WEATIlER STATIONS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA

By
Donald Rottner

Bureau of Reclamaticln
Atmospheric Water Resources Management
Division of Research
Denver. Colorado

Gerald R. Price

and

Electronic Techniques. Inc.
Fort CoIl ins. Colorado

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Automatic Environmental Surface Observation
Platforms (AESOP's) were first conceived when it
became apparent that there was generally a dearth
of surface weather stations at most Project Sky-
water* experiment sites. The stations were meant
to supplement the normal surface National Weather
Service and Federal Aviation Administration net-
work in areas where the density of manned sta-
tions is very low. It was intended that they
emulate manned stations in every way possible.
i.e.. on the hour real-time reporting. measure-
ments of the same parameters. and similar methods
of taking surface weather observations.

Originally the AESOP's were designed for remote
summertime application in the High Plains Cooper-
ative Program (HIPLEX). but with the advent of
the Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project (SCPP) it
was decided to test them in the sometimes severe
winter conditions of the Sierra. Two manned
sites were chosen for comparison of their data
with AESOP's data. These two sites were the
National Weather Service surface station at Blue
Canyon. California and the Forest Service Cen-
tral Sierra Snow Laboratory at Soda Springs.
California.

This paper concerns itself with the Sierra appli-
cation and test of the AESOP's. their general
description. their data path through the satel-
lite. the final computer mix of the data in the

* Project Skywater is the Bureau of Reclama-
tion's precipitation management research program
designed to explore. develop. and determine the
feasibility of applying the technology of weather
modification to meet the Nation's increasing
demand for clean water. The project is concerned
with developing socially acceptable technologies
for enhancing snowfall from winter orographic
situations and rainfall from growing season
showers.

surface weather circuits. and their performance
durinl~ the Sierra test.

2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE AESOP

The complete AESOP is made up of the Convertible
Data Collection Platform (CDCP). a transmitting
antenna. data sensors. power source. and inter-
face electronics. See figure 1.

WIND SPEED"

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~- WIND DIRECTION

10 METER METEOROLOGICAL TOWER

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HIGH C~,PACITY PRECIPITATION
GAGE"" /
, RADIATION
SHIELD FOR
TEMPERATURE
HI,MIDITY

/ L.

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ANTENNA TO
GOES SATELLITE

ELECTRONIC
ENCLOSURE
?

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Figul'e 1. Automatic Environmental. Surface Obser-
vation Platfornr (AESOP) lJ1ith aU components shOtm.

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