This is one of the upper air data sets developed for the Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) project. This data set includes 321 high vertical resolution (1-second) radiosonde soundings from Ranai, Indonesia. The soundings were typically released two times per day at 00, and 12 UTC from 9 September 2011 to 29 February 2012. The station used MODEM M2K2DC radiosondes. The soundings were provided by JAMSTEC. These data were intially processed by NCAR/EOL into the EOL sounding composite format and had a series of automated and visual checks applied. No data values were changed during these procedures. Those files were then processed by CSU where the RH data were corrected using the CDF matching method. See section 2.2 for further information.
Scot Loehrer
NCAR/EOL
loehrer@ucar.edu
All upper air soundings were converted to National Center for Atmospheric Research/Earth Observing Laboratory (NCAR/EOL) Sounding Composite Format (ESC). ESC is a version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) CLASS format and is an ASCII format consisting of 15 header records for each sounding followed by the data records with associated QC information.
The header records (15 total records) contain data type, project ID, site ID, site location, release time, sonde type, and meteorological and wind data processors. The first five header lines contain information identifying the sounding, and have a rigidly defined form. The following 7 header lines are used for auxiliary information and comments about the sounding, and may vary from dataset to dataset. The last 3 header records contain header information for the data columns. Line 13 holds the field names, line 14 the field units, and line 15 contains dashes ('-' characters) delineating the extent of the field.
The five standard header lines are as follows:
| Line | Label (padded to 35 char) | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data Type: | Description of type and resolution of data. |
| 2 | Project ID: | Id of weather project. |
| 3 | Release Site Type/Site ID: | Description of the release site. |
| 4 | Release Location (lon,lat,alt): | Position of release site in the format described below. |
| 5 | UTC Release Time (y,m,d,h,m,s): | Time of release, in the format: yyyy, mm, dd, hh:mm:ss |
The release location is given as: lon (deg min), lat (deg min), lon (dec. deg), lat (dec. deg), alt (m)
Longitude in deg min is in the format: ddd mm.mm'W where ddd is the number of degrees from True North (with leading zeros if necessary), mm.mm is the decimal number of minutes, and W represents W or E for west or east longitude, respectively. Latitude has the same format as longitude, except there are only two digits for degrees and N or S for north/south latitude. The decimal equivalent of longitude and latitude and station elevation follow.
The seven non-standard header lines may contain any label and contents. The labels are padded to 35 characters to match the standard header lines. Records for this dataset include the following non-standard header lines.
| Line | Label (padded to 35 char) | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Sonde Id/Sonde Type: | 104 2 10029/MODEM M2K2DC |
| 7 | Ground Station Software Version: | V7.5.0.0 V7.12 |
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | Nominal Release Time (y,m,d,h,m,s): | Nominal time of release, in the format: yyyy, mm, dd, hh:mm:ss |
The data records each contain time from release, pressure, temperature, dew point, relative humidity, U and V wind components, wind speed and direction, ascent rate, balloon position data, altitude, and quality control flags (see the QC code description). Each data line contains 21 fields, separated by spaces, with a total width of 130 characters. The data are right-justified within the fields. All fields have one decimal place of precision, with the exception of latitude and longitude, which have three decimal places of precision. The contents and sizes of the 21 fields that appear in each data record are as follows:
| Field No. | Width | Format | Parameter | Units | Missing Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | F6.1 | Time | Seconds | 9999.0 |
| 2 | 6 | F6.1 | Pressure | Millibars | 9999.0 |
| 3 | 5 | F5.1 | Dry-bulb Temperature | Degrees C | 999.0 |
| 4 | 5 | F5.1 | Dew Point Temperature | Degrees C | 999.0 |
| 5 | 5 | F5.1 | Relative Humidity | Percent | 999.0 |
| 6 | 6 | F6.1 | U Wind Component | Meters / Second | 9999.0 |
| 7 | 6 | F6.1 | V Wind Component | Meters / Second | 9999.0 |
| 8 | 5 | F5.1 | Wind Speed | Meters / Second | 999.0 |
| 9 | 5 | F5.1 | Wind Direction | Degrees | 999.0 |
| 10 | 5 | F5.1 | Ascent Rate | Meters / Second | 999.0 |
| 11 | 8 | F8.3 | Longitude | Degrees | 9999.0 |
| 12 | 7 | F7.3 | Latitude | Degrees | 999.0 |
| 13 | 5 | F5.1 | Elevation Angle | Degrees | 999.0 |
| 14 | 5 | F5.1 | Azimuth Angle | Degrees | 999.0 |
| 15 | 7 | F7.1 | Altitude | Meters | 99999.0 |
| 16 | 4 | F4.1 | QC for Pressure | Code (see below) | 99.0 |
| 17 | 4 | F4.1 | QC for Temperature | Code (see below) | 99.0 |
| 18 | 4 | F4.1 | QC for Humidity | Code (see below) | 99.0 |
| 19 | 4 | F4.1 | QC for U Wind Component | Code (see below) | 99.0 |
| 20 | 4 | F4.1 | QC for V Wind Component | Code (see below) | 99.0 |
| 21 | 4 | F4.1 | QC for Ascension Rate | Code (see below) | 99.0 |
Fields 16 through 21 contain the Quality Control information derived at the NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory (NCAR/EOL). Any QC information from the original sounding is replaced by the following EOL codes:
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 99.0 | Unchecked (QC information is "missing.") ("UNCHECKED") |
| 1.0 | Checked, datum seems physically reasonable. ("GOOD") |
| 2.0 | Checked, datum seems questionable on physical basis. ("MAYBE") |
| 3.0 | Checked, datum seems to be in error. ("BAD") |
| 4.0 | Checked, datum is interpolated. ("ESTIMATED") |
| 9.0 | Checked, datum was missing in original file. ("MISSING") |
The following is a sample record of DYNAMO Indonesia Ranai High Resolution Radiosonde sounding data in ESC format. The data portion is much longer than 80 characters and, therefore, wraps around to a second line. See section 2.1 for an exact format specification.
Data Type: BMKG Radiosonde/Ascending Project ID: DYNAMO Release Site Type/Site ID: Ranai, Indonesia/96147 Release Location (lon,lat,alt): 108 23.59'E, 03 54.73'N, 108.393, 3.912, 1.0 UTC Release Time (y,m,d,h,m,s): 2011, 09, 30, 23:09:48 Sonde Id/Sonde Type: 104 2 10029/MODEM M2K2DC Ground Station Software Version: V7.5.0.0 V7.12 / / / / Nominal Release Time (y,m,d,h,m,s):2011, 09, 30, 23:09:48 Time Press Temp Dewpt RH Ucmp Vcmp spd dir Wcmp Lon Lat Ele Azi Alt Qp Qt Qrh Qu Qv QdZ sec mb C C % m/s m/s m/s deg m/s deg deg deg deg m code code code code code code ------ ------ ----- ----- ----- ------ ------ ----- ----- ----- -------- ------- ----- ----- ------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 0.0 1009.9 25.5 24.5 94.1 0.6 0.5 0.7 229.5 999.0 108.393 3.912 999.0 999.0 1.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 9.0 1.0 1006.6 25.5 24.6 94.6 0.9 -0.0 0.9 270.0 28.3 108.394 3.912 999.0 999.0 29.3 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 2.0 1006.8 25.8 24.9 95.2 0.3 0.6 0.7 209.4 -1.0 108.393 3.912 999.0 999.0 28.2 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 3.0 1006.5 26.0 25.2 95.2 -0.4 4.2 4.2 174.2 2.3 108.393 3.912 999.0 999.0 30.5 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 4.0 1006.0 26.1 25.3 95.2 1.7 7.4 7.6 192.9 4.7 108.393 3.912 999.0 999.0 35.3 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 5.0 1005.3 26.3 25.4 95.1 6.0 0.8 6.0 262.5 6.0 108.394 3.912 999.0 999.0 41.3 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 6.0 1004.7 26.7 25.8 95.0 4.5 -4.8 6.6 316.7 4.9 108.394 3.912 999.0 999.0 46.2 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 7.0 1004.3 27.0 26.1 94.9 0.6 -3.0 3.0 348.4 4.0 108.394 3.912 999.0 999.0 50.2 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 8.0 1003.6 27.3 26.3 94.7 -2.0 1.8 2.7 132.1 5.6 108.394 3.912 999.0 999.0 55.8 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 9.0 1003.1 27.5 26.5 94.3 0.1 4.6 4.7 180.7 4.2 108.394 3.912 999.0 999.0 60.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 10.0 1002.4 27.6 26.5 94.0 3.5 5.0 6.1 214.6 6.8 108.394 3.912 999.0 999.0 66.8 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0
| ID | SITE | COUNTRY | LONG | LAT | ELEV (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96147 | Ranai | Indonesia | 108.393 | 3.912 | 1.0 |
This dataset underwent an automated QC process. The dataset underwent internal consistency checks which included two types of checks, gross limit checks on all parameters and rate-of-change checks on temperature, pressure and ascension rate. Some further information on the QC processing conducted by NCAR/EOL can be found in Loehrer et al. (1996) and Loehrer et al. (1998).
These checks were conducted on each sounding and data were automatically flagged as appropriate. Only the data point under examination was flagged. NCAR/EOL conducted the following gross limit checks on the DYNAMO 2011-12 Indonesia Ranai sounding dataset. In the table P = pressure, T = temperature, RH = relative humidity, U = U wind component, V = V wind component, B = bad, and Q = questionable.
| Parameter | Gross Limit Check | Parameter(s) Flagged | Flag Applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure | < 0 mb or > 1050 mb | P | B |
| Altitude | < 0 m or > 40000 m | P, T, RH | Q |
| Temperature | < -90 °C or > 45 °C | T | T |
| Dew Point | < -99.9 °C or > 33 °C > Temperature |
RH T, RH | Q Q |
| Relative Humidity | < 0% or > 100% | RH | B |
| Wind Speed | < 0 m/s or > 100 m/s > 150 m/s |
U, V U, V | Q B |
| U Wind Component | < 0 m/s or > 100 m/s > 150 m/s |
U U | Q B |
| V Wind Component | < 0 m/s or > 100 m/s > 150 m/s |
V V | Q B |
| Wind Direction | < 0° or > 360° | U, V | B |
| Ascent Rate | < -10 m/s or > 10 m/s | P, T, RH | Q |
These checks were conducted on each sounding and data were automatically flagged as appropriate. These checks were started at the lowest level of the sounding and compared neighboring 1-sec data points (except at pressures less than 100 mb where 30-sec average values were used). In the case of checks ensuring that the values increased/decreased as expected, only the data point under examination was flagged. However, for the other checks, all of the data points used in the examination were flagged. All items within the table are as previously defined.
| Parameter | Vertical Consitency Check | Parameter(s) Flagged | Flag Applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | decreasing / equal | None | None |
| Altitude | decreasing / equal | P, T, RH | Q |
| Pressure | increasing / equal > 1 mb/s or < -1 mb/s > 2 mb/s or < -2 mb/s |
P, T, RH P, T, RH P, T, RH | Q Q B |
| Temperature | < -15 °C/km < -30 °C/km > 50 °C/km (not applied at p < 250 mb) >100 °C/km (not applied at p < 2 50 mb) |
P, T, RH P, T, RH P, T, RH P, T, RH |
Q B Q B |
| Ascent Rate | change of > 3 m/s or < -3 m/s change of > 5 m/s or < -5 m/s |
P P | Q B |
Each sounding was visually examined for data quality issues. Any issues found were flagged in the data file and/or noted in Section 3.4.
The pressure data is on occasion also somewhat noisty, but nothing to the extent of the wind data. The most significant issue is found in the sounding at 201201302321.
In the sounding at 201110182304 the RH cycles back and forth from ~60-80% and up to saturation (and above) from ~690-565mb.
In the soundings at 201112190022 and 201201252342 there is little RH data.
In the sounding at 201202140001 the pressure data does not jibe with the other parameters. The sounding starts with pressure values typical for the surface, but the altitude and temperature value are more typical of ~770mb. The entire sounding has been flagged as questionable.
A number of soundings have periods where the RH data are > 100% or < 0%. When the reported RH is < 0% the dew point data and quality flags are given the missing value, but the Rh value is kept as reported. When the reported RH is > 100%, the dew point is calculated as usual and the quality flag is given the questionable value.
The following soundings have questionable RH values for their entire flight:
yy mm dd hhmn Questionable field 11 10 02 1103 Td 11 10 19 1046 Td 11 11 06 2331 Td 11 12 15 0019 Td 12 01 17 1055 Td 12 01 21 0021 Td 12 02 07 2322 Td 12 02 14 0001 T and Td 12 02 21 2329 Td 12 02 26 1041 Td
Loehrer, S. M., T. A. Edmands, and J. A. Moore, 1996: TOGA COARE upper-air sounding data archive: development and quality control procedures. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 77, 2651-2671.
Loehrer, S. M., S. F. Williams, and J. A. Moore, 1998: Results from UCAR/JOSS quality control of atmospheric soundings from field projects. Preprints, Tenth Symposium on Meteorological Observations and Instrumentation, Phoenix, AZ, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 1-6.