BAMEX Sounding Composite Highest Resolution Upper-Air Sounding Data [JOSS] 1.0 Dataset Overview This data is a composite upper-air sounding data set which consists of all upper-air sounding data collected from 39 sounding platforms (see Section 5.0) during BAMEX. The data in the composite is at the highest possible resolution (i.e. the `native' resolution). 2.0 Detailed Dataset Description All data within this composite has passed through a JOSS BAMEX sounding quality control (QC) procedure consisting of a set of automated internal consistency checks. For more complete information on the original data, the JOSS processing, and more detailed information on the QC processing conducted at any of the platforms, please see the individual site documentation available on-line. All soundings within this dataset have been converted to a standard format (see Section 3.0). Each site can have different vertical resolutions, typical release times, available dates, as well as radiosonde and windfinding system types. For more detailed information please see the individual site documentation avaialble on CODIAC for each individual platform. 3.0 JOSS CLASS Format (ASCII text) Description 3.1 Header records The header records (15 total records) contain data type, project ID, site ID, site location, actual release time, nominal release time, and possibly other specialized information. The first five header lines contain information identifying the sounding, and have a rigidly defined form. The following 6 header lines are used for auxiliary information and comments about the sounding, and they vary significantly from data set to data set. The next line (line 12) contains the Nominal date and time of the release. 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 six standard header lines are as follows: Line Label (fixed to 35 char in length) 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 release site. 4 Release Location (lon,lat,alt): Position of release site, in format described below. 5 UTC Release Time: Time of release, in format: yyyy, mm, dd, hh:mm:ss 12 UTC Nominal Release Time: Nominal release time. The release site type/site ID typically consists of the site name, but may also contain a three or four letter site ID. 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 six non-standard header lines may contain any label and contents. The labels sre fixed to 35 characters to match the standard header lines. Sample header records are provided in the sample data file in section 3.3. 3.2 Data records 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 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 Format Missing No. Width Parameter Units 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 Ascension 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 Variable (see below) 999.0 14 5 F5.1 Variable (see below) 999.0 15 7 F7.1 Altitude Meters 99999.0 16 4 F4.1 QC flag for Pressure Code (see below) 99.0 17 4 F4.1 QC flag for Temperature Code (see below) 99.0 18 4 F4.1 QC flag for Humidity Code (see below) 99.0 19 4 F4.1 QC flag for U Component Code (see below) 99.0 20 4 F4.1 QC flag for V Component Code (see below) 99.0 21 4 F4.1 QC flag for Ascension Rate Code (see below) 99.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Fields 13 and 14 are `variable' because depending on the sounding system the variables used in these positions can vary. Fields 16 through 21 contain the Quality Control information (flags) generated locally at JOSS. These flags are based on the automated checks made. The JOSS QC flags are as follows: 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') ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.3 Sample data The following is a sample portion of a JOSS CLASS format file including header records. The data portion is much longer than 80 characters and, therefore, wraps around to a second line. Data Type: NWS Project ID: BAMEX Comp HiRes Snding Release Site Type/Site ID: LCH Lake Charles, LA Release Location (lon,lat,alt): 093 12.00'W, 30 6.00'N, -93.20, 30.10, 5.0 UTC Release Time (y,m,d,h,m,s): 2003, 06, 25, 23:00:00 Ascension No: 1352 Radiosonde Serial Number: 242503602 Radiosonde Manufacturer: Vaisala / / / Nominal Release Time (y,m,d,h,m,s):2003, 06, 26, 00:00:00 Time Press Temp Dewpt RH Uwind Vwind Wspd Dir dZ Lon Lat Elev Azim Alt Qp Qt Qh 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 1014.7 27.2 25.0 88.0 -1.8 1.0 2.1 119.0 999.0 -93.200 30.100 32.5 168.3 5.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 9.0 6.0 1012.2 27.1 24.6 86.0 -1.5 1.2 1.9 129.0 3.7 -93.200 30.100 41.5 166.6 27.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 4.0 4.0 99.0 12.0 1009.7 27.0 24.3 85.0 -1.2 1.4 1.8 139.0 3.7 -93.200 30.100 49.8 158.1 49.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 4.0 4.0 99.0 18.0 1007.2 26.9 23.8 83.0 -0.9 1.6 1.8 151.0 3.7 -93.200 30.101 40.7 156.5 71.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 4.0 4.0 99.0 4.0 Quality Control Procedures This dataset underwent a JOSS QC process which consisted of internal consistency checks . The internal consistency checks included gross limit checks on all parameters and vertical consistency checks on temperature, pressure, and ascension rate. 5.0 Composite Sounding Platforms The sites included within the high resolution sounding composite include: National Weather Service (NWS) ID SITE STATE LONG LAT ELEV (m) SONDE TYPE ------------------------------------------------------------------ ABR Aberdeen SD -98.4 45.5 397.0 Vaisala AMA Amarillo TX -101.7 35.2 1094.0 Vaisala APX Gaylord MI -84.7 44.9 448.0 Vaisala BIS Bismarck ND -100.7 46.8 505.0 VIZ B2 BNA Nashville TN -86.6 36.2 180.0 VIZ B2 BMX Birminghamn AL -86.8 33.2 178.0 Vaisala ILX Central Illinois IL -89.3 40.2 178.0 Vaisala MPX Minneapolis MN -93.6 44.8 290.0 Vaisala ILN Cincinnati OH -83.7 39.4 323.0 Vaisala DVN Davenport IA -90.6 41.6 229.0 Vaisala DNR Denver INT APT CO -104.9 39.8 1611.0 Vaisala DDC Dodge City KS -100.0 37.8 788.0 VIZ B2 GRB Green Bay WI -88.1 44.5 214.0 VIZ B2 GSO Greensboro NC -79.9 36.1 277.0 Vaisala INL International Falls MN -93.4 48.5 361.0 Vaisala FFC Atlanta GA -84.6 33.4 245.0 Vaisala PIT Pittsburgh PA -80.2 40.5 360.0 VIZ B2 FWD Fort Worth TX -97.3 32.8 198.0 Vaisala JAX Jacksonville FL -81.7 30.5 9.0 Vaisala JAN Jackson MS -90.1 32.3 91.0 VIZ B2 LIT Little Rock AR -92.3 34.8 172.0 Vaisala MAF Midland TX -102.2 32.0 873.0 Vaisala OUN Norman OK -97.4 35.2 357.0 Vaisala LBF North Platte NE -100.7 41.1 849.0 Vaisala LCH Lake Charles LA -93.2 30.1 5.0 Vaisala OAX Valley NE -96.4 41.3 350.0 Vaisala UNR Rapid City SD -103.2 44.1 1029.0 Vaisala RNK Blacksburg VA -80.4 37.2 640.0 Vaisala SHV Shreveport LA -93.8 32.5 83.0 Vaisala SIL Slidell LA -89.8 30.4 10.0 Vaisala SGF Springfield MO -93.4 37.2 390.0 Vaisala TLH Tallahassee FL -84.3 30.5 53.0 Vaisala TOP Topeka KS -95.6 39.1 270.0 Vaisala DTX Detroit MI -83.5 42.7 329.0 Vaisala Atmospheric Radiation Measurement - Clouds And Radiation TestBed (ARM-CART) ID SITE STATE LONG LAT ELEV (m) SONDE TYPE ------------------------------------------------------------------ SC1 central Facility OK -97.49 36.6 315.0 Vaisala Atmospheric Technology Divison - (ATD) National Center for Atmospheric Research - Integrated Sounding System or NCAR-ISS and the Mobile Integrated Profiling System (MIPS) which is owned and operated by the University of Alabama, Huntsville ID SITE STATE LONG LAT ELEV (m) SONDE TYPE ------------------------------------------------------------------ BX1 Mobile1 NCAR GLASS Vaisala BX2 Mobile2 NCAR GLASS Vaisala BX3 MIPS NCAR GLASS Vaisala Dropsondes ID SITE STATE LONG LAT ELEV (m) SONDE TYPE ------------------------------------------------------------------ LEAR Lear Jet GPS Dropsonde